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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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THE TWINS: 

OR 

CONVERSATIONS ON THE IMPORTANCE 



OF THE OFFICE OF THE 



RULING ELDEB: 



IIS SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY, QUALIFICATIONS, AND DUTIES. 



BY THE AUTHOR OF WHY AM I A PRESBYTERIAN? 



Let the elders that rule well, be counted worthy of double hon- 
our. 1 Tim. v. 17. — He that ruleth, with diligence. Bom. xii. 18. 




PHILADELPHIA: 



WILLIAM S. IMARTIEN, 

No. 141 CHESTNUT STREET. 

1854. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854, 

By WILLIAM S. MARTIEN, 

In the Office of the Clerk of the District Court for the Eastern 
District of Pennsylvania. 



CONTENTS. 



Chapter I. 

Page. 



Introductory • • 13 

Chapter II. 

Importance of the Eldership 29 

Chapter III. 
Scriptural authority for the Eldership 45 

Chapter IT. 
Authority continued 62 

Chapter T. 

Duties of the Eldership , 77 

Chapter TL 
Duties continued 98 

Chapter TIL 
Qualifications for the Eldership 118 

Chapter Till. 
Election and Ordination of Elders 135 

Chapter IX. 
Encouragements of Elders 149 

Chapter X. 



Claims of the Eldership on Church Members .... 164 



PREFACE. 



As my little book on the Pastoral office 
lias appeared before the public, and 
received a flattering" notice, the present 
work on the Eldership seems a suitable 
companion for it: the two classes of 
presbyters being so intimately connect- 
ed in the polity of our Church, that 
the one cannot put forth its full ener- 
gy unless sustained and aided by the 
other. When united, these church- 
officers form a whole of such surpass- 
ing agreement and power, as would, 

if properly carried out, supply a mode 
1* 



6 



PREFACE. 



of ecclesiastical government equally 
efficient and impartial. It is much to 
be lamented, that this office is not 
"magnified" as its importance de- 
mands. If its scriptural warrant be 
denied, the foundation for its authority 
is at once swept away; nor does the 
substitution of expediency at all relieve 
the difficulty. Some persons advocate 
a rotation in the eldership, while others 
regard its existence as an evil neces- 
sary to the system, of which the great 
recommendation is, that the organiza- 
tion is a harmless one. How far is this 
from the estimation in which this class 
was held by the apostle ! How differ- 
ent to the view which a consistent Pres- 
byterian entertains, of those "whom 
the Holy Ghost hath made overseers of 
the Church of God!" Let not, then, 



PREFACE, 7 

the subject be deemed uninteresting to 
private Christians; they are much con- 
cerned in the right discharge of this 
important trust, and the elders who 
perform their duties ought ever to be 
"esteemed very highly in love for their 
work's sake/ 7 by the people among 
whom thev labour. If it be urged, 
that elders do not always perform their 
functions with becoming diligence and 
zeal, the allegation, if true, does not 
exonerate the Church from the charge 
of having lightly esteemed them whom 
inspiration commands us to honour; 
nor can a better way be discovered, of 
elevating and encouraging a session, in 
their feelings and endeavours, than in 
rendering that respect to their office 
which its importance demands. 

There are many church members, 



8 



PREFACE. 



too, who must be aware that they have 
— often at the suggestions of worldly 
policy, or selfish aggrandizement— re- 
sisted alike the wishes of the church 
and the promptings of their own con- 
science, when solicited to accept the 
office in question. Perhaps an inquiry 
into its authority and duties will show 
them, how wrong it is to withhold more 
than is meet, when demanded for the 
Lord's service; and to such, the fact 
that the elder is of essential service to 
the pastor, will peradventure assist 
them in forming a more correct esti- 
mate of the responsibility they assume, 
in standing back when invited to this 
honourable post. 

But, to return to the claims of the 
eldership; if it be admitted that gov- 
ernment is necessary in ecclesiastical, 



PREFACE. 



9 



as well as political matters, then must 
the subjects of it submit to its salutary 
restraints, uphold its just authority, 
and reverence its accredited officers. 
Do private Christians pray for, encour- 
age, and submit to "those that are over 
them in the Lord," as they ought? 
Will they avoid the prayer-meeting, 
where only the elders are to officiate? 
And can they complacently lay all the 
blame on the inefficiency or supine- 
ness of the session, without considering 
whether they have done their part of 
the work? 

The author requests the attention of 
her readers to what is said in these 
pages on the subject of contribution of 
substance, and the plan of making this 
available by means of the elder. This 
branch of divine truth has too often 



10 



PREFACE. 



been overlooked by those who are loud 
in their professions of self-dedication 
and love to the Redeemer. Let such 
see to it, that their actions do not con- 
travene their words ; rather may they 
imitate " the grace of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, that, though he was rich, yet 
for our sakes he became poor, that we 
through his poverty might be rich." 

Free "use has been made, in the 
course of this work, of Dr. King's 
book on the Eldership, the first of the 
Essays on the Primitive Church Offi- 
ces, and Dr. Miller's Treatise on the 
Nature and Duties of the Office of 
Ruling Elder. The present series will 
be concluded by another set of conver- 
sations, to be called "The Mission- 
aries," which will bring to a close the 
history of the Harcourt and Lindsay 



PREFACE. 11 

families, and complete the intentions 
of the author as contemplated at the 
commencement of their story. 

N. W. CAMPBELL. 

Maple Grote, April 23d, 1854. 



THE TWINS. 



CHAPTER I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

'•'It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing." 

Again is the honeysuckle-shaded piazza of 
Violet Vale recalled to the recollection of 
those readers who are familiar with the pre- 
vious portions of Herbert and Mabel's his- 
tory; and it is so, for this simple reason, 
that the author feels more at home there 
than in any other spot in Fancy-land that 
her imagination ever visited. It is occupied 
by a group who are conversing earnestly, 
and may therefore be scrutinized a little, 
without disturbance. First, as becomes her 
age and importance, the eye rests on a neat 
elderly lady, who occupies a large and com- 
fortable rocking-chair; her widow's weeds, 
2 



14 



T HE TWINS. 



snow white locks, and bright expression of 
countenance, at once remind one of Mrs, 
Lindsay; or, if any doubt existed of that fact, 
the close proximity of little Ellen — now a 
sweet child of six years old — settles the ques- 
tion. Harcourt, two years younger than his 
sister, is playing with a little girl just able 
to walk; while Mabel, more matronly, it is 
true, than in former times, but not less 
pleasing in her appearance, watches every 
movement of her children, though talking 
with Edith, who, with her husband and child, 
is on a visit at her sister's happy home. 

"I thought," continued the younger lady, 
as she kissed the infant on her lap, " that as 
you had an Edith, I must return the' comple- 
ment by calling my boy Herbert, and only 
hope he may prove as good a man as his 
uncle is. But I have so much to say, that I 
hardly know where to begin. First, I must 
tell you that I want your husband to give 
Mr. Neville some advice as to his duty in a 
particular case ; and also some instruction 
as regards the duties and qualifications for a 
ruling elder; as he has been solicited to 



THE TWINS. 



15 



assume that office in the church. I cannot 
convince him that he is fitted for it, but per- 
haps Herbert's arguments may have as good 
an effect on him as they had on Edwin, 
about the ministry. And then, aunt, I want 
your advice about our daughters — I mean 
Mr. Neville's twins by his first wife — who 
have always lived with their mother's rela- 
tions, but ought, I am sure, to come home to 
us as soon as possible. Do you not think 
so, Mabel?" 

"Indeed I do," replied her sister; " though 
I own, I rejoice that such a trial did not fall 
to my lot, as to have step-children. My 
own I can bear with ; but how I should do 
my duty to other people's, I am not so sure 
about." 

"I hope," said Mrs. Lindsay, "that had 
such been your lot, you would have been 
strengthened to fulfil it; but, no doubt, a 
step-mother's is generally a thankless of- 
fice. Your resolution, Edith, is highly com- 
mendable, and I should advise, that as 
speedily as possible, it be put in execution; 
as the longer the children are estranged 



16 



THE TWINS. 



from you, the harder will it he to counteract 
the injudicious indulgence they have been 
accustomed to. How happened it, that they 
have never been relinquished to you be- 
fore?" 

"Why, their mother exacted a promise 
from my poor husband, that their grand- 
mother should keep them as long as she 
lived ; and since her death, the aunt has not 
been willing to give them up : but, counting 
on your acquiescence, I have persuaded Mr. 
Neville to send for them to meet us here, 
and this in the hope, that love to their 
father and the baby might so far counter- 
balance all their aunt's petting, as to induce 
them to return with us, of their own ac- 
cord." 

" An excellent idea, sister; I hope it may 
succeed, and will do all in my power to pro- 
mote your plan. When will they arrive ?" 

"Not for two or three days; so I shall 
have time to get some help from my aunt 
about my conduct towards them, and enjoy 
your society, without the restriction of their 
presence. I pray to be fitted to discharge 



THE TWINS. 



17 



my duty to these children, but I fear my 
part will be a hard one, as there has been 
no religious influence around them, and I 
fear their . prejudices against me are of the 
strongest kind." 

" What infatuation, then," said Mrs. 
Lindsay, "prompted their father to allow of 
their remaining in such a situation?" 

"I think, aunt, it proceeded from a min- 
gled motive. He was not a professor of re- 
ligion when he was married, and as his 
wife's family were opposed to any thing like 
vital godliness, a coolness ensued when Ne- 
ville and she were united to the church. A 
reconciliation took place before her death, 
when their mother gave them, as I told you, 
to their grandmother. Soon after our wed- 
ding, I proposed that the children should 
come home; but he was unwilling to take 
them from his sister-in-law in her affliction, 
and thought also that the task would be too 
hard for me. I was too conscious of my 
deficiency of judgment to insist upon the 
matter, till the birth of my own baby woke 
2* 



18 



THE TWINS. 



me to a sense of parental duty to these 
motherless ones." 

"May that same feeling be deepened and 
directed, my dear niece !" returned her aunt. 
" Many are the mistakes made by those who 
sustain a relation, which, if well understood, 
gives the poor bereaved child the best sub- 
stitute for the parent it has lost. Even 
conscientious women often err, from the fear 
of censure, a desire to please officious 
friends, or an idea that the discipline they 
adopt for their own family may be deemed 
too harsh if extended to their step-children. 
Nor is this all; the poor motherless ones 
often suffer from imprudent indulgence pre- 
viously to their being brought to their new pa- 
rent. The injudicious suggestions of friends 
or servants will frequently poison the youth- 
ful mind, and introduce those hateful pas- 
sions which should never find admittance 
there, and which destroy the happiness of 
home in so many families. But here comes 
the gentlemen, and poor Harcourt has fallen 
down, in his attempt to outrun his sister in 



THE TWINS. 



19 



their usual contest to get the first kiss from 
their father." 

Peace being restored, and the party all 
seated, Edith turned to her husband, and 
said, "I have been bespeaking Herbert's in- 
structions for you about the eldership, and 
hope he will convince you that it is your 
duty to accept of it." 

"You have indeed been early in your 
application, my good wife," returned Mr. 
Neville; "and I desire to be open to con- 
viction on the subject, though I feel as if 
my objections are unanswerable." 

" What are they?" inquired Herbert, "for 
it should not be a trifling one, that can deter 
you from the path of duty." 

" There it is — I do not find in myself that 
fitness for the office, without which it cannot 
be right to undertake it. And then old 
men — as the very name imports — are the 
proper persons for distributing the elements 
of the Christian passover." 

"Hold, my good brother! that short 
speech of yours is replete with error. The 
Church wants young men in her judicatories, 



20 



THE TWINS. 



her public efforts, and her intercourse with 
her own members, and the handing round 
the bread and wine, by no means covers the 
whole province of an elder's functions. As 
for qualifications, others must think differ- 
ently from yourself, or you would not be 
put in the nomination for the office." 

"Even if you are right on the other 
points, Herbert, I am too much immersed in 
business, too entirely devoted to secular pur- 
suits, to do justice to the claims of such an 
engrossing charge. Then, I have not that 
fluency in prayer, that knowledge of the 
congregation, which is necessary for an elder 
to possess. In short, I could point out 
many men of higher attainments and more 
active zeal, every way better suited than 
myself for the proposed appointment. Nay, 
the very broad view you seem to take of the 
requirements of the office, only makes me 
more timid in assuming it." 

"Let us examine your objections, Neville, 
one by one. You say you are too much im- 
mersed in business, too entirely secularized 
in your pursuits; well, whose fault is it? 



THE TWINS. 



21 



are you justified in permitting your worldly 
employments to occupy all your thoughts — 
take up all your time? Is consecration of 
heart alone to be demanded from the officers 
of the Church, and viewed as unattainable 
by the private members? Can your time be 
better employed than in doing the Lord's 
work, and is it not included among those 
talents for which you must render an ac- 
count in that day when we shall all give up 
our stewardship ? Will not the blessing of 
God on your business transactions amply 
remunerate you for all the hours spent in 
his service? Then, again, you talk of your 
want of fluency in prayer. Is this wonder- 
ful — admitting that you do not undervalue 
your powers in this respect — when you con- 
fess that your attention is given to things 
seen and present, instead of those things 
which are unseen and eternal? You say 
you are not acquainted with the congrega- 
tion. Will not your acceptance of the elder- 
ship furnish you with the means of remedy- 
ing this defect ? And as to those you think 
more fit for the charge than yourself, per- 



22 



THE TWINS. 



haps they have the same opinion of your de- 
servings; and thus in bandying compliments 
and uttering disclaimers of zeal and eligi- 
bility, the precious hours are consumed, 
while the Church is defrauded of those 
young men who have overcome the wicked 
one!" 

" Come, husband," said Mabel, who saw 
by Edith's sorrowful countenance that she 
felt Herbert's remarks keenly; "you must 
not be too hard on Mr. Neville. You know 
he says he is open to conviction, and if he is 
engrossed in business, he is willing to con- 
tribute to every good object." 

" Far be it from me, Mabel, to assume a 
tone of harshness or reproach, especially to 
one so much beloved and so nearly connect- 
ed. My remarks were not meant to be per- 
sonal, but general in their nature ; and if I 
seemed too indignant, it was only because of 
the damage that grows to the hurt of the 
King's cause among us, when that wealth, 
talent, influence, and character, which should 
prove its strongest bulwark, are diverted to 
any subordinate pursuit. I know that our 



THE TWINS. 



23 



brother is alive to the calls of the Church 
for his substance, but that is not himself. It 
is time that church members should be 
aroused from their lethargy in this respect, 
and that they should yield that active co- 
operation to the ministry, without which it 
never can perform the gracious work for 
which it is intended, and which our admira- 
ble polity renders so practicable and easy." 

"I see," observed Mrs. Lindsay, "that it 
would seem as if the Methodists were be- 
coming aware of the importance of lay re- 
presentation." 

" That is indeed an important testimony 
in its favour," said Mr. Xeville, "and I own, 
dear Herbert, that there is some cause for 
your rebuke, severe though it be. At any 
rate, I can acquit Edith of any participation 
in those grovelling aspirations to which, 
perhaps, my entanglements in business have 
been owing. How often has she begged me 
to withdraw myself from speculations so per- 
plexing, and devote more time to duty and 
my family. Indeed, I suspect that her 
anxiety to call home my little banished ones, 



24 



THE TWINS. 



originates in the hope that I will share with 
her the task she has so kindly undertaken.'' 
" Then let her not be disappointed, my 
dear nephew. If these conversations should 
convince you of the importance of doing 
something more for your family than merely 
toiling to make them rich, your visit will not 
have been made in vain ; while your exami- 
nation of the duties of the eldership will, if 
I mistake not, convince you of its claims on 
those who, like you, have it in their power 
so materially to further the interests, of our 
Zion." 

"Be assured, dear Mrs. Lindsay, that I 
will give a patient hearing to all that can be 
said upon the subject; and if our young 
pastor will now commence his instructions, I 
promise to listen attentively." 

"Well then, brother, I will, as the best 
introduction to our subject, read you what is 
said in our Form of Government, under the 
head of Ruling Elders. 

Ui Ruling elders are properly the repre- 
sentatives of the people, chosen by them for 
the purpose of exercising government and 



THE TWINS. 25 

discipline, in conjunction with pastors or 
ministers. This office has been understood, 
by a great part of the Protestant Reformed 
Churches, to be designated in the Holy 
Scriptures by the title of governments; and 
of those who rule well, but do not labour in 
the word and doctrine.' 

"Here you see how much more is entrust- 
ed to them than the distribution of the ele- 
ments. Elders are styled the representa- 
tives of the people — belonging to their class, 
chosen by their votes, and designed to form 
a counterpoise to the clerical part of the 
body ecclesiastic. Their special functions 
comprehend government and discipline. The 
first of these refers mainly to the judica- 
tures of the Church; of these the primary 
court is the session, which consists of the 
pastor and ruling elders of a particular con- 
gregation, the pastor being the moderator or 
presiding officer. 4 The church session,' says 
our Form of Government, 6 is charged with 
maintaining the spiritual government of the 
congregation; for which purpose, they have 
power to inquire into the knowledge and 
3 



26 



THE TWINS. 



Christian conduct of the members of the 
church ; to call before them offenders and 
"witnesses, being members of their own con- 
gregation, and to introduce other witnesses, 
where it may be necessary to bring the pro- 
cess to issue, and where they can be pro- 
cured to attend; to receive members into 
the church; to admonish, to rebuke, to sus- 
pend, or exclude from the sacraments those 
who are found to deserve censure; to con- 
cert the best measures for promoting the 
spiritual interests of the congregation ; and 
to appoint delegates to the higher judica- 
tories of the Church.' The next court for 
power and importance is the Presbytery; 
and here we again find the ruling elder ac- 
companying the pastor, or if the church be 
vacant, representing it; and in both these 
cases the vote of the lay elder is as influen- 
tial as that of the preaching one. In 
Synods, the ratio of representation of the 
pastors and ruling elders continues the same 
as in the inferior court; and in the General 
Assembly, the judicatory highest in authori- 
ty in the Church, a similar proportion is 



THE TWINS. 



27 



maintained. In this judicature, which is the 
last resort of all who have been aggrieved 
by the decisions of the lower tribunals, the 
lay delegates often assume great prominence 
as prosecutors of appeals, or advocates of the 
different parties; and by their knowledge of 
law and business, greatly assist in the deci- 
sions of the house. By this brief sketch, 
you see how important is the government 
entrusted to the eldership. Nor is the other 
department of discipline less responsible, as 
you may judge from the extract I read con- 
cerning the duty of the session; so that, I 
am sure, you will at once perceive the pro- 
priety of the apostle's exhortation, 6 Let the 
elder that ruleth well, be counted worthy of 
double honour.' " 

" I do indeed, and confess that the office, 
as you describe it, assumes an importance 
and dignity I never before realized." 

"I rejoice to hear you say so, my dear 
brother. The subject in hand, is of the great- 
est moment to the interests of the Church of 
the living God among us; scarcely yielding 
in importance to the question of the pastoral 



28 



THE TWINS. 



office itself : for it is evident, that while it 
must be a work of time, to purify and pre- 
pare the sons of Levi for their trust, the 
materials for a pious and efficient eldership 
are ready to our hands, were they but con- 
vinced that a more active supervision of 
holy things is among the duties of lay mem- 
bers, instead of leaving every burthen to be 
borne by the ministry. Service, too, from 
those who have obtained consideration in 
their secular employments, counts much more 
than if rendered by those whose vocation is 
restricted to holy things; and the superior 
resources of pious laymen, enable them to 
give greater assistance to good objects, than 
can be accomplished merely by 6 those who 
labour in word and doctrine.' 

"I will, therefore, on these pleasant sum- 
mer evenings, and at this shady spot — con- 
secrated, I trust, by a holier influence than 
even the academic groves of Plato could 
boast — give you my views on the importance 
of the eldership ; the authority for it, from 
the word of God; the qualifications neces- 
sary for it, and the duties it comprehends. 



THE TWINS. 



29 



In the mean time, we must give place to the 
ladies and their babies, who have been mar- 
vellously quiet for the last half hour." 

"That remark of yours is slanderous, of 
either or both of the classes you mention so 
slightingly," said Mr. Neville; "and as a 
punishment, Nelly and I will pelt you with 
clover flowers. Come, children !" 

No further invitation was needed, and 
Herbert was speedily compelled to sue for a 
truce from the flowery attack. 



CHAPTER II. 

IMPORTANCE OF THE ELDERSHIP. 

" Salute all them that have the rule over you." 

" Now, husband, we are ready for your in- 
structions," exclaimed Mabel, on the even- 
ing succeeding that of Edith's arrival; "mo- 
ther's chair is in her own place, and I have 
sent the three little children out for a walk, 
lest you should complain of the interrup- 
tion. Ellen begs leave to remain, and says 

Oik 
O 



30 



THE TWINS. 



she will be as still as a mouse, if she may 
sit close to grandma." 

The young pastor nodded assent, and thus 
began: — " 4 Order is heaven's first law;' and 
if in the natural world such wonderful evi- 
dences are presented to us of the harmony 
of its parts, and their adaptation to the 
ends proposed, shall we not suppose that in 
the Church — that spiritual and moral instru- 
mentality so full of blessings to our race — 
a similar adjustment of the component parts 
will be observed? If this be so, we must 
find there that completeness of design which 
is best suited to comprehend all the objects 
to be attained. This symmetry of the whole 
design, combined with energy and efficiency, 
is pre-eminently to be found in the polity 
of that Church to which we all belong. 
Neither the pure democracy of the Baptists 
and Congregationalists, nor the oligarchy of 
the Episcopalians, can command the same 
beneficial results; still less can they be 
looked for amid the unmixed despotism of 
the Pajiacy, or the Erastianism of churches 
established by law. Especially in this coun- 



THE TWINS. 



31 



try, where our civil constitution is based on 
the fundamental principle of Presbyterian- 
ism — that of being governed by our repre- 
sentatives chosen by ourselves — should this 
admirable system of checks and balances be 
duly appreciated. But to secure the advan- 
tages of this plan, it is evident that pastors 
and hearers alone are not sufficient. On the 
one hand, the minister may complain, like 
Martha, that he is left to serve alone; and 
on the other, the people may feel that they 
are not on equal ground with their clergy- 
man. In this dilemma, the ruling elder 
seems presented, to obviate all the difficulties 
of the case. He is one of the flock, possess- 
ing the confidence and esteem of the church, 
fitted to promote their interests, of similar 
pursuits, and can never have around him 
the prestige and familiarity-repressing awe, 
sometimes appertaining to the sacred office. 
Yet are his relations with the pastor of the 
most intimate nature; associated with him 
as he is, for the preservation of good order 
in the church, and engaged in all that can 
further its interests." 



32 



THE TWINS. 



"It seems by your statements, Herbert, 
as if the office you are recommending was 
like the balance wheel to the machine, that 
is required to preserve the equipoise of the 
whole." 

"Exactly so. But the fact of their pre- 
serving the balance of power, is not the only 
ground of the importance of the eldership. 
They have in their hands the means of con- 
centrating influence. How does their co- 
operation increase the extent of the pastor's 
ability to command the love and respect of 
his people ! Accordingly, every judicious 
minister, instead of acting unadvisedly and 
without counsel, is glad to have his session 
share in the responsibility of his judicial 
transactions. In union there is strength; 
and the official enactments of this parochial 
court come to the people with a stringency ? 
which, if assumed by their pastor solely? 
would either tend to rigour, or provoke re- 
sistance. But another proof of the import- 
ance of the lay-elder arises from the share 
h e takes in the responsibility of the pastor's 
government over the church. That he is 



THE TWINS. 



33 



partaker of this power, seems evident from 
the word used to designate the office, (1 Cor. 
xii. 28,) and the exhortation to 6 rale with 
diligence.' Now, this ruling is the most irk- 
some and delicate part of the ministerial 
work, especially as regards discipline, as 
every one knows who is conversant with such 
matters. Where offences occur which de- 
mand a sessional investigation, the poor 
preacher is sure to have a heart-scald of it. 
My mother can testify to this; happily, as 
yet, I speak not from actual experience." 

'•That I can, my son. Your father, occa- 
sionally in his congregation, had proof of 
this difficulty, and found it almost impossible 
to elicit testimony, or come at the real truth 
of the case ; and his perplexity was much 
increased from the scarcity of elders, who 
might have assisted him in the investiga- 
tion." 

"I can easily imagine," remarked Mr. 
Neville, "that a minister would need the 
aid of some other persons in a trial like that 
you mention ; and of course it is better that 
they should be fully acquainted with the 



34 



THE TWINS. 



parties, as no stranger could be. Besides, 
if a mere advisory court is called together, 
their decisions want the force and authority 
of law." 

44 Add to all this the disadvantage of dis- 
closing transactions that do not tell well for 
the church, and the danger of invoking 
some troublesome spirit, that might do more 
harm than good ; and you will find a power- 
ful argument in favour of a board of offi- 
cers, w T ell known to all concerned, of their 
own selection, of approved talents for gov- 
erning, and with every possible inducement 
to bring these troubles to a happy issue. 
But the fact is, that pastors need this divi- 
sion of accountability ; they are often timid 
and retiring in their nature, and especially 
prone to sensitive apprehensions, when call- 
ed on to enter into conflict with their fellow- 
men. Therefore it is, that their hands re- 
quire to be upheld by their coadjutors of the 
eldership; that their decisions may be as 
a three-fold cord, that is not quickly broken. 
Thus this branch of Church government is 
important, because it strengthens the power 



THE TWINS, 



35 



of the preaching elder; which, as it consists 
not in the carnal weapons of warfare, but is 
entirely of a remedial and paternal character, 
ought to be sustained to the highest point 
which the general relaxation of discipline in 
these degenerate days will permit. But the 
ruling elder is important on another ground. 
Preachers, in poring over their books, are 
constantly in danger of originating new er- 
rors, or reviving old heresies in a modern 
garb; and their sedentary habits and theo- 
rizing speculations have often led the Church 
into dangers and difficulties of the most se- 
rious character." 

"You think then, Herbert, that the apos- 
tle's caution is not yet obsolete : £ Timothy, 
keep that which is committed to thy trust, 
avoiding profane and vain babblings, and op- 
positions of science falsely so called!' " 

" I do, Neville, and feel that there is 
great security in the plain good sense and 
unaffected orthodoxy of a body of picked 
men from the ranks of the laity, whose in- 
fluence may be most efficacious in restrain- 
ing a love of novelty and plausible opinions, 



36 



THE TWINS. 



to -which some of my brethren are addicted. 
But the importance of the eldership is in- 
creased by the new views adopted within the 
present century, of the calls of duty, and 
the Church's appropriate work. The exten- 
sion of religious effort, which I fondly hope 
is to go on progressing far beyond its pre- 
sent limits, calls for a class of men distinct 
from the ministry, to occupy in an especial 
manner this wide field of usefulness. The 
first of these departments I shall mention, 
is, taking charge of the Sabbath- schools 
and Bible classes of the congregations, to 
which the elders respectively belong." 

"I thought," said Edith, "that young 
persons generally took the care and instruc- 
tion of those nurseries of the Church in their 
own hands." 

"It has been so, undoubtedly, sister, and 
I am far from disdaining such assistance as 
this class can afford ; but certainly the su- 
pervision of the whole ought to be placed 
under steadier and more judicious care than 
the ordinary attainments of young profes- 
sors can lead us to expect from them. How 



THE TWINS. 



87 



many of these hallowed meetings have been 
allowed to become mere scenes of frivolity 
and flirtation between the teachers of both 
sexes ; and how important is it that the 
hours spent in the Sabbath-school be im- 
proved in the way best adapted to touch the 
hearts of the children, as well as to store 
the mind with scriptural knowledge! Be- 
sides the actual instruction, prayer is an 
essential part of the exercises that are re- 
quired to maintain the prosperity of the 
undertaking; and here how needful that the 
officers of the church lead the devotions, 
more immediately referring to the lambs of 
the flock ! The watchful care of the elders 
might often follow these little ones into 
places of temptation and mischief, which a 
pastor cannot enter ; and the good effects of 
such fidelity, if combined with prudence and 
affection, might tell on these children's cha- 
racters for life. It is not, however, in Sab- 
bath-school praver-meetings only that the 
elder's is an important office; in the week- 
day gatherings, and the monthly concerts, 
their aid is of the highest utility; indeed, if 
4 



38 



THE TWINS. 



they fulfilled their functions aright, the in- 
terest of these seasons would not be so de- 
pendent on the presence of the pastor as it 
now is ; but would be kept up, even if he 
were providentially detained at home." 

" You forget, Herbert, that all good men 
have not a gift in prayer or exhortation." 

" I own that there are diversities of gifts, 
brother, but where we find piety, common 
sense, a good English education, and the 
usual fluency of speech, a person can hardly 
fail of expressing himself acceptably. Prac- 
tice does much to facilitate the habit of 
social prayer. But there are other places 
at which it is important to avail ourselves of 
the aid of the session ; I mean in the visita- 
tion of the sick. That this was in use 
during the apostolic age, we know, from 
the direction which has been so strangely 
perverted by the Romanists to signify their 
extreme unction — 6 Is any sick among you? 
let him call for the elders of the church, and 
let them pray over him/ " 

" I thought, Herbert, that was the pecu- 
liar province of the pastor." 



THE TWINS. 



39 



"It is so; but it is the duty of the elders, 
also, in conjunction with him. Indeed, I 
have heard of some congregations where the 
minister was not fond of visiting, and this 
work was entirely clone by the elders. It is 
often desirable that the pastor be accompa- 
nied by his elder on these occasions; and as 
an active session should strive to spare their 
clergyman all unnecessary interruptions from 
those studies which are so essential to him, 
they may, by dividing the people into dis- 
tricts, have the whole under their inspection; 
and when the case requires it, apprize their 
minister of those instances in which his 
visits are more than ordinarily needful." 

"Take care, brother, or you will give all 
the power to the eldership." 

" There is no danger of such a monopoly. 
On the contrary, ruling elders need stirring 
up to a greater diligence in the oversight of 
that church in which their position is so 
honourable and so useful. Another proof 
of their importance is found in the rapidly 
increasing feeling of the Church as to the 



40 



THE TWINS. 



apportionment of funds for benevolent ob- 
jects. 

" While I am -willing to admit that there 
has been an injudicious squeamishness about 
pastors having to talk about money-matters, 
it does seem better that the pecuniary inte- 
rests of the church should be placed in the 
hands of laymen; partly because they un- 
derstand business better, and partly from 
the incompatibility of such affairs with the 
all-absorbing concerns of the preaching el- 
der's appropriate province. When, then, 
the churches are unprovided with deacons, 
the whole of these concerns necessarily de- 
volve upon the elders." 

"I am glad you have mentioned the office 
of deacon, Herbert/' said Edith, "I want 
to know what you think about it." 

"I think it is sanctioned by Scripture, 
Edith, and very important to take care of 
the temporalities of the Church ; but when it 
does not exist in a congregation, the elders 
ought to do double duty. Even where dea- 
cons are to be found, I would not have so 
important a branch of duty left to them 



THE TWINS 



41 



only : indeed, there is work enough for both 
classes, especially if the last mentioned offi- 
cers acr as trustees for the church, collect- 
ing pew-rents, keeping up the repairs, at- 
tending to the poor of the congregation — 
their original designation of duty — superin- 
tending the parochial schools, where such 
exist, and doing many things which at pre- 
sent either go undone, or are left for the 
pastor to attend to.' ? 

"Ton are aware, Lindsay, that some peo- 
ple think the Scripture warrant for the last 
named office much more explicit than for the 
lay elder." 

•*I am, brother, but will not now enter on 
an argument on that score, for the subject 
will naturally come up in our next conversa- 
tion, as I shall then attempt to prove the 
authority for the eldership. But see, what 
carriage is that stopping at our gate? Your 
little girls are there. Neville, I am sure, 
from their resemblance to you. Let us wel- 
come them to Violet Vale." 

"It is indeed my little Fannie and Xan- 

nie, though we did not expect them for some 
4* 



42 



THE TWINS. 



clays; and as my sister-in-law is not with 
them, I fear she must be ill/' 

The gentlemen hastened to receive the 
little strangers ; poor Edith burst into tears 
of uncontrolable emotion, though all unob- 
served by her husband, whose attention was 
fully occupied by the new comers. 

"Cheer thee, cheer thee, my sweet sis- 
ter," said Mabel tenderly; "no one, how- 
ever wayward, can be long near you without 
loving you; and these poor children appeal 
to your compassion, for they are mother- 
less." 

"I know it is very foolish," replied Edith, 
u and if you will receive them for me, I will 
go up stairs a moment, to obliterate all 
traces of my childishness." 

She disappeared as she spoke, and before 
the process of disembarkation was com- 
pleted, had smoothed her brow and returned 
to the parlour, to enfold her new charge to 
her benignant heart; for even as Mabel had 
foretold, a sense of their loss opened up the 
warm sympathy of her ready affections. It 
appeared that their aunt had been taken ill 



THE TWINS. 



43 



with a fever which the physicians feared 
might be infectious; and she had therefore 
anticipated their visit, very much lamenting, 
however, that her illness prevented the stay 
of the confidential nurse who accompanied 
them in the carriage, as she was needed at 
home to attend upon the invalid. In Edith's 
mind, this last circumstance was rather desi- 
rable than otherwise, and she therefore de- 
clined the substitute for the nurse, sent also 
by Miss Lushington, as her sister's house 
was not calculated to accommodate so large 
an increase of guests. The little girls were 
to occupy a small room opening out of their 
mother's, who thought that her own care, 
and that of little Herbert's attendant, would 
be quite sufficient to ensure their comfort. 
At the departure of their old favourite, the 
little girls were quite uproarious in their 
grief ; but at this moment the children came 
in from their walk, and joy at the sight of 
their little brother, seemed to overpower 
every other feeling. This, of course, grati- 
fied Edith, who observed to Mabel, " I am 



44 



THE TWINS. 



sure I shall love them, if they will only like 
me in return. Are they not beautiful ?" 

The little twins were, in truth, as lovely 
a pair as could well be imagined. At first 
sight it was difficult to distinguish between 
them — the same luxuriant hair, the same 
hazel eyes and fair complexion, their height 
and size the same; but on a closer inspec- 
tion it was evident that Fannie's beauty was 
of a more haughty character, and temper 
had set its seal on the symmetry of her face ; 
while Nannie, resembling her father in the 
expression as well as features, had a winning 
smile, that made its way to the hearts of all 
beholders. Fannie was the older of the two, 
and evidently swayed the meeker with arbi- 
trary power; with her aunt, too, she was 
the favourite, having been named after her 
maternal, and Nannie after the paternal 
grandmother. 



THE TWINS. 



45 



CHAPTER III. 

AUTHORITY FOR THE ELDERSHIP. 
"And G-od hath set some in the church governments.*' 

It was long ere Edith could compose her 
feelings, on the night when the children of 
her husband were first placed under her 
supervision. Fatigued with their journey, 
they "wished to retire to rest early; and after 
she had assisted in the process of undressing 
them, she hastened to her aunt and sister, 
with whom she talked long and earnestly on 
her new responsibilities. Mrs. Lindsay said 
much that was encouraging and kind, and 
Mabel reminded Edith of her own early wil- 
fulness, and the good effects of her aunt's 
instructions. ci Yes!" replied Mrs. Neville, 
•*if I had the patience and skill of aunt 
Lindsay, it would be another matter ; and 
then you never were such a heathen, as to 
go to bed without even repeating 

1 Xow I lay me down to sleep.' 

as these poor girls did to-night. " 



46 



THE TWINS. 



"Perhaps it was the effect of weariness 
or forgetfulness," said Mrs. Lindsay. " Did 
you put them in mind to it?" 

"No, aunt, I thought it best to postpone 
all my efforts at government for the pre- 
sent." 

"You were quite right, my child; but be- 
fore we dismiss the subject, let us address 
the throne of grace on their behalf, as well 
as that you may be directed and cheered in 
your arduous work." The sisters gladly 
assented to this proposal, and the young 
step-mother rose from her knees, calmed and 
comforted by the consciousness that help had 
been sought from that source whence alone 
it could be found. Her husband appeared to 
guess the reason of her subdued and anxious 
looks, but mutual delicacy prevented any 
conversation on the subject; though his un- 
usual softness of manner seemed to indicate 
that he felt and appreciated the greatness of 
the task she had voluntarily assumed. 

On the ensuing morning, the twins were 
awakened by Betsy — Herbert's nurse — and 



THE TWINS. 



47 



willingly arose. They were about to leave 
the room, when their attendant, who had been 
taught her duty to her Maker, turned to 
Nannie, and asked her if she did not say 
her prayers. "No," said the child, in as- 
tonishment at the question. 

" Then you won't be fit to live with such 
good people as they are here," replied Bet- 
sy- 

" As for that," returned Fannie, who al- 
ways did the talking for both, " we have 
been used to as good people as any you ever 
saw. I expect : and I don't see what right you 
have to talk so to us. I shall tell my father 
on you when I go down stairs." 

Then the bell for worship rang, and Bet- 
sy hastened clown, summoning the twins also 
to attend, which they did, without exactly 
understanding what was coming. The sight 
of the whole family collected together, the 
solemnity of Herbert's tones and manner, 
the orderly behaviour of the little Lindsays, 
and the simplicity and appropriateness of 
the services, so calmed our little termagant, 
that her purposes of complaint were forgot- 



48 



THE TWINS. 



ten ; and after breakfast, so much was found 
new and amusing in the garden, poultry- 
yard, &c, that the day passed off more 
peacefully than might have been expected 
from its commencement. Edith feared that 
two such unquiet little intruders might pre- 
vent the continuation of those conversations 
which were so precious to her and her hus- 
band; but aunt Lindsay had projected a 
walk with the children to an old acquaint- 
ance, where they were all to stay to tea, 
thus leaving the trio undisturbed, to the dis- 
cussion proposed, and at the accustomed 
hour, Herbert thus began:— 46 We are now to 
prove the authority of the eldership from 
Scripture. The apostle has furnished us 
with two lists of officers, which, combined, 
present to us all the classes, ordinary and 
extraordinary, of those whom he has given 
to his Church. The first of these (Ephes. 
iv. 11) designates only those whose peculiar 
department was the work of the ministry; 
but the second (1 Cor. xii. 28) comprehends 
others, that cannot be thus disposed of. 
4 And God hath set some in the church, first 



THE T W INS 



49 



apostles; secondarily, prophets; thirdly, 
teachers; after that miracles, then gifts of 
healings, helps, governments, diversities of 
tongues.' The first three, being not at 
present under consideration, shall be passed 
over; while miracles, gifts of healings, and 
diversities of tongues, are manifestly pe- 
culiar to the age they appeared in: two 
officers, however, yet remain to be noticed — 
•helps, governments' — the first of which so 
manifestly refers to the deacons, who were 
originated as an assistance to the apostles, 
that we proceed to the latter. This term, 
as you, Neville, are well aware, implies, 
originally, a shipmaster or pilot, who sat at 
the helm, and regulated the movements of 
the vessel. Such a class must needs be im- 
portant, for 'God hath set some in the 
church,' and as governing is one of those 
functions which are inseparable from har- 
mony and good order, the class meant must 
be permanent and ordinary ; not temporary 
and extraordinary, like the apostles them- 
selves, or the miracles and healings. 

" Again, in Romans xii. 8, after repeating 



50 



T HE TWINS. 



the metaphor of the members and the body ? 
with which the text we last considered was 
introduced, Paul says, 6 Having then gifts 
differing according to the grace that is given 
to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy 
according to the proportion of faith ; or min- 
istry, let us wait on our ministering; or he 
that teacheth, on teaching; or he that ex- 
horteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, let 
him do it with simplicity — or liberality (mar- 
gin); he that ruleth, with diligence; he that 
showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.' Here the 
gifts relative to the preaching of the word 
are specified by prophecy, ministry, teach- 
ing, and exhortation: 6 he that giveth,' evi- 
dently refers to the deacons, whose office it 
was to impart, or distribute; as 6 he that 
showeth mercy,' points out the widows and 
other persons of both sexes, who, from the 
destitutions of the age, were employed to 
visit and take care of the distressed." 

"There is one designation you have not 
alluded to, Herbert— 'he that ruleth.' " 

"I have not forgotten that, I assure you, 
though I disposed of the other classes first. 



THE TWIXS. 



51 



This office is here not connected with preach- 
ing, nor restricted, as some would make it 
out, to the family of those who held it, nor 
to the church stock, or public funds; nor 
could it have meant pious magistrates, for in 
those days heathens only, bore civil rule. It 
is, therefore, identified with the c govern- 
ments' considered a while ago; and by a 
third passage, which I shall quote from 
1 Tim. v. 17, the attribute of ruling is de- 
clared to belong to elders, who do not 
preach, as well as to those that 'labour in 
the word and doctrine.' ' Let the elders 
that rule well, be counted worthy of double 
honour.' " 

"I thought the Episcopalians contended 
that the rulers here spoken of were dio- 
cesans, Herbert." 

" Various, my clear brother, have been the 
attempts to distort the meaning of a passage 
which so plainly indicates the scriptural ori- 
gin of Presbyterianism. The exposition you 
refer to, if it prove anything, proves too 
much; for the preaching elder has more 
honour assigned him than the mere ruler; a 



52 



THE TWINS. 



thing not tolerated among the advocates 
for prelacy. In accordance with our views, 
we find in the preceding passages, that 
preaching, exhorting, &c, are placed before 
ruling, evidently proving that they, at least, 
are on equal terms, as to rank. 

"But you may well ask what is the sense 
in which the term elder is to be understood? 
To reply to this, we turn to the Old Testa- 
ment; for it is a feature of the gospel dis- 
pensation worth remarking, that many of its 
terms, institutions, and elements, are but the 
expansion and purification of initial truths, 
committed, with more or less clearness, to 
the Church, under the preparatory training 
of the former covenant. Thus the Sabbath, 
although a positive enactment, takes its 
place in that code of morals, the decalogue, 
which was so far to outlast the ceremonial 
part of the Mosaic ritual, and is continued 
under the present system, with only that 
change of day and relaxation of austerity, 
which its adaptation to gospel worship re- 
quired. Another of these transmitted obser- 
vances seems to be the mode of church gov- 



THE TWINS. 



53 



ernment by elders, as practiced in the syna- 
gogues." 

" The Episcopalians, Herbert, trace their 
three orders to the high-priests, priests, and 
Levites." 

" They do, indeed, discover a fancied re- 
semblance to them, but many reasons concur 
to prove that the Aaronic priesthood had 
nothing in common with the gospel ministry. 
Admirably suited to the types and shadows 
by which it was surrounded, and enlisting by 
its combined religious and political attributes 
all the pride and affection of the Jewish peo- 
ple, the temple, as it glittered in the sunset, 
while the smoke of the evening sacrifice 
ascended to heaven, and the hearts of all 
devout worshippers turned to it in fond re- 
collection, seemed a fit emblem of the Jew- 
ish polity in its exclusiveness and peculiari- 
ty. But that temple was to be razed to the 
ground, and the system to which it belonged 
was to give place to the universality of 
the New Testament privilege. The Aaronic 
priesthood was limited to a peculiar family, 
and its functions of sacrifice and incense 
5* 



54 



THE TWINS, 



ceased when the Lamb of God had taken 
away the sin of the world; as the Levitical 
attendants could no longer minister when 
the Roman arms had defiled and destroyed 
the sacred edifice/' 

"What date do yon assign to the first 
introduction of the synagogues, brother?" 
asked Edith; "they are mentioned in one of 
the Psalms, I believe." 

"They are, sister; but it is difficult to fix 
the probable era of their institution. Some 
authors suppose they are as ancient as the 
ceremonial law; while others have thought 
that they originated after the Babylonish 
captivity. It is enough for my purpose, 
that they were in universal use among the 
Jews in the days of our Lord's abode on 
earth ; that they were sanctioned by his re- 
sorting thither to worship and to preach; 
that his apostles and followers made use of 
them for like purposes, and that the very 
name is twice applied to Christian assem- 
blies. (Heb. x. 25, James ii. 2.) But what- 
ever obscurity may rest on the origin of the 
synagogue, the use of the term elder, as 



THE TWINS. 



55 



indicative of office, runs back to the earliest 
antiquity. The patriarchal authority was 
the first that human society submitted to, 
and seems founded on the natural relation 
between parents and children. Under all 
the changes of the Hebrew form of govern- 
ment, this patriarchal system still continued 
as the foundation of the whole theocracy; 
and the same usage of the term occurs in 
application to domestic arrangements. Elie- 
zer of Damascus, is called in the Hebrew, 
Abraham's i servant, the elder (i. e., ruler) 
of his house;' and we hear of 4 all the ser- 
vants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house,' 
as well as 6 all the elders of the land of 
Egypt;' to which the term 6 senators' (Psalm 
cv. 22) is synonymous in Hebrew. The ex- 
pression as applied to the children of Israel, 
occurs first in the directions given to Moses, 
by the Lord God, who spoke to him out of 
the burning bush ; and it is never lost sight 
of after that period, during the whole course 
of their history. 

"But this organization is declared to be 
applied also to religious purposes. Hence 



56 



THE TWINS. 



the Psalmist says, 6 Praise him in the assem- 
bly of the elders.' (Psalm cvii. 32.) When the 
people met for local worship, it was under 
the direction of their natural and ordinary 
chiefs, the elders ; and as this government 
of the people by elders was independent of, 
and antecedent to, the covenant of peculiar- 
ity, so was it to survive the abolishment of 
that which had decayed, and had waxed old. 
In this respect, we find that while the origin 
of apostles and deacons can both be traced, 
the elders run far back beyond the organi- 
zation of the Church, and appear as an ar- 
rangement not springing out of a new state 
of things, but transferred from an old one. 

"I will here quote the opinion of an 
eminent living dignitary, of the Anglican 
Church, (Dr. Whately, Archbishop of Dub- 
lin) : — 4 It appears highly probable — I 
might say morally certain — that wherever a 
Jewish synagogue existed that was brought, 
the whole, or the chief part of it, to embrace 
the gospel, the apostles did not there so 
much form a Christian church (or congre- 
gation, ecclesia) as make an existing congre- 



THE TWINS. 



57 



gation Christian, by introducing the Chris- 
tian sacraments and worship, and establish- 
ing whatever regulations were necessary for 
the newly adopted faith; leaving the ma- 
chinery (if I may so speak) of government 
unchanged; the rulers of synagogues, elders, 
and other officers (whether spiritual, or ec- 
clesiastical, or both) being already provided 
in the existing institutions. And it is likely 
that several of the earliest Christian churches 
did originate in this way ; that is, that they 
were converted synagogues, which became 
Christian churches as soon as the members, 
or the main part of the members acknow- 
ledged Jesus as the Messiah. The attempt 
to effect this conversion of a Jewish syna- 
gogue into a Christian church seems always 
to have been made, in the first instance, in 
every place where there was an opening for 
it. Even after the call of the idolatrous 
Gentiles, it appears plainly to have been the 
practice of the apostles Paul and Barnabas, 
when they came to any city in which there 
was a synagogue, to go thither first and de- 
liver their sacred message to the Jews and 



58 



THE TWINS. 



6 devout (or proselyte) Gentiles;' according 
to their own expression (Acts xiii. 16) 'to 
the men of Israel and those that feared 
God;' adding that it was necessary that the 
word of God should be 'first preached to 
them.' And when they founded a church 
in any of those cities in which (and such 
was probably a very large majority) there 
was no Jewish synagogue that received the 
gospel, it is likely they would still conform 
in a great measure to the same model.' " 

"The Archbishop's hypothesis seems to 
me very plausible, Herbert, and it is easy to 
perceive how, by degrees, the genealogical 
or patriarchal constitution of the elders was 
modified by circumstances. Under the pre- 
sent constitution of society, the same ends 
are gained by entrusting power to men of 
mature age, and especially to heads of fami- 
lies ; because the church is thus brought 
under the same influence that rules the fami- 
lies of which it is composed." 

"It is so; and in the synagogues — as is 
known to all conversant in Jewish usages, 
and as Dr. Whitby, another Episcopal di- 



THE TWINS. 



59 



vine, tells us in his Commentary — the elders 
of the Jews were of two sorts ; first such as 
governed in the synagogue, and secondly, 
such as ministered in reading and expound- 
ing their scriptures and traditions. 

u Calmet tells us in his Dictionary, that 
there were generally in the synagogues 
many men of eminence who presided in 
them, and that their number depended on 
the extent of the cities where they were, or 
the number of people who frequented the 
synagogue. In some there might be sev- 
enty elders who presided, in others perhaps 
ten, in others four or five. But yonder is 
my mother, with her clamorous troop; and 
we must adjourn the remainder of our proofs 
of the authority of the eldership till to- 
morrow.'' 

The children were delighted with what 
they had seen;, but being tired, were willing 
to retire early. To Edith's great pleasure, 
as she was putting them to bed, Nannie said, 
"Will you teach me my prayers? Ellen 
says her prayers, and I am older than her. 7 ' 
"That I will, my dear child/'' she replied; 



60 



THE TWINS. 



and the little girl kneeling by her side, re- 
peated after her the Lord's Prayer. Fan- 
nie, however, made no intimation of a simi- 
lar desire; and when Edith asked her if she 
would not say her prayers also, replied, 
"No," very angrily. Edith did not resent 
the disrespectful manner in which she spoke, 
but mildly answered, "Your dear mother 
prayed to God, and if you want to go to 
heaven to her, you must pray too." 

"Do not talk to me about my mother," 
replied the child in agony of passion; "she 
is dead, and grandma is dead, and if aunt 
dies, we shall have nobody to love us in the 
whole world." 

"Oh sister!" cried Nannie, "do not say 
so. There is father and little Herbert, I 
am sure; and she," pointing to Edith, "is 
very good to us, and I think we ought to 
call her mother, as father told us, even if 
aunt did forbid it." 

" Call me what you like, so you will only 
let me love you, and do you good," answered 
Mrs. Neville, " my name is Edith ; will not 
that do to call me by? But Fannie, if your 



THE TWINS. 



61 



mother was so good, you should not feel so 
badly about her ; for she is a great deal hap- 
pier now than she could be on earth, where 
you know she was sick so long, and suffered 
so much. In her Bible, which your father 
has for you, she has written down a prayer 
for her little girls, but a short time before 
she died. Would you not like to read 
that?" 

"I cannot read or write either," said 
Fannie, sulkily ; " aunt said we were too 
little to go to school." 

"I will teach you," replied Edith, "if you 
will try to learn." 

"Thank you, ma'am," returned Nannie, 
more civilly than she had yet spoken to her 
new mamma. Edith then kissed them both, 
and was leaving the room, when she heard 
Nannie say, "I do love her, Fannie, and so 
must you, or you'll be very ungrateful." 
This repaid her for all her patient forbear- 
ance, and she hastened to her friends, with a 
peaceful countenance. 



6 



62 



THE TWINS. 



CHAPTER IV. 

AUTHORITY FOR THE OFFICE, CONTINUED. 

" And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the 
church." 

With all Edith's mild endurance, it could 
not be concealed from her husband, that his 
children did not treat her as they ought, or 
address her by the name of mother; and it 
was only at her earnest request ? that he 
forbore to enforce her claims to respect. 
In the meanwhile, the principle of assimila- 
tion was doing its work; silently, indeed, 
but surely, on the little rebels. When they 
heard Ellen reading to her grandmother, 
Nannie said, " Won't you teach us, ma'am?" 
Mrs. Lindsay willingly assented, and pro- 
posed, moreover, that the lessons should not 
be mentioned to their father, till they had 
made some progress. This idea was so 
pleasant, that even Fannie went for her 
book, and a long lesson in spelling was ac- 
complished without weariness. "Now, grand- 



THE TWINS. 



63 



ma, do tell us a story, " begged little Ellen. 
The request was granted, and the little group 
were delighted with the narrative. Again, 
as evening drew near, Mrs. Lindsay would 
have led away the children, to avoid any in- 
terruption to Herbert's conversations, but 
Mabel declared it was her turn to go. This 
point amicably adjusted, the young pastor 
led his mother to her rocking chair, and thus 
commenced : — "In our last coversation, I en- 
deavoured to identify the expression 'govern- 
ments,' and 6 he that ruleth,' with 'the elder 
that ruleth well;' and after tracing this term 
of office to the earliest antiquity, inferred 
that it had been introduced into the Chris- 
tian Church, from that mode of administra- 
tion to which the apostles had been accus- 
tomed in the synagogue: this having been 
the place which they and their Master were 
accustomed to frequent on the Sabbath for 
worship. I now would direct your attention 
to another mode of proof, for the authority 
of the eldership. Let me first, however, 
apologize for thus dilating on the warrant 
for this office, which seemed more necessary 



64 



THE TWINS. 



to be dwelt on even than that of pastor; be- 
cause that is conceded to be essential to the 
Christian Church, even by those who differ 
most widely, in its qualifications, training, 
or functions." 

"I think," said Mrs. Lindsay, "you need 
not make excuses to any of the present com- 
pany, for enlarging on the evidence in favour 
of an institution so beneficial to the Church, 
and yet so little appreciated and understood, 
even by those who adopt it in their polity. 
On this subject, I wish the opinion of your 
beloved professor, Herbert, was imparted to 
our people more generally. Do you remem- 
ber what I mean?" 

"Perfectly, dear mother. He addressed 
himself to an elder, and said, 6 1 have a 
higher opinion of the dignity of your office 
than most men entertain ; for I believe it 
was the original constitution in the Church, 
and the preaching elder a modification of it.' 
This view entirely coincides with what I am 
about to advance, namely, that as elder and 
bishop are by Presbyterians considered as 
interchangeable, so the latter term is justly 



THE TWINS. 



65 



thought to belong to the lay presbyter as 
much as to the pastor. In proof of the force 
of this assertion, let us examine Paul's 
charge to the elders of the church at Ephe- 
sus, (Acts xx. 17 — 28,) where he gives them 
this remarkable exhortation: 6 Take heed 
therefore unto yourselves and to all the 
flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath 
made you overseers, to feed the Church of 
God, which he hath purchased with his own 
blood.' Here the Greek word (episcopous,) 
as well as all the pronouns, are in the plural 
number, which indicates, I think, that it 
applies to all the elders, whether ruling or 
teaching ones. In the Epistle to the Philip- 
pians, the same apostle addresses 6 all the 
saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, 
with the bishops and deacons.' Now, as we 
cannot suppose that a church so highly com- 
mended by the apostle as this, (chap. iv. 
14 — 18) should be so deficient in its organi- 
zation as to be without those elders, which 
are recorded as having been ordained in 
every church; more especially as the place 
' where prayer was wont to be made,' and to 
6* ' 



66 



T II E TWINS. 



which 'the women resorted,' must have been 
either a synagogue or proseucha, and there- 
fore under Jewish legislation; (Acts xvi. 8;) 
we must understand them either included in 
one of the above mentioned classes, or total- 
ly omitted in the apostolic enumeration. 
The latter idea seems preposterous ; we may 
therefore suppose that they were compre- 
hended among the bishops; especially as 
Paul himself uses the terms convertibly, 
when, after directing Titus to 6 ordain elders 
in every city,' he goes on in describing their 
qualifications to say, 'for a bishop must be 
blameless as the steward of God.' " 

" What, do you then understand the apos- 
tle's directions to bishops, to apply to ruling 
elders, as well as preaching ones, Herbert?" 

"I do, brother; and thereby propose to 
obviate the objection, that while the bishop's 
and deacon's characteristics are described, 
nothing is said about the lay presbyters ; and 
if you will examine the passages in question, 
you will see that they are equally appropri- 
ate to both classes of officers." 

"I believe you are right, Herbert; for 



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67 



though in Timothy it is said that a bishop 
must be 6 apt to teach,' and in Titus, he is 
described as 6 holding fast the true doctrine 
as he hath been taught, that he may be able 
by the teaching which is wholesome both to 
exhort and to confute the gainsayers,' (Mac- 
knight's Paraphrase,) yet these expressions 
do not either of them overleap the legitimate 
province of a ruling elder." 

"Let us, then, before we proceed further, 
examine the meaning of the word bishop; 
perhaps it will not, in its original significa- 
tion, at all favour the hypothesis, which com- 
municates to it so much sanctity and clerical 
exclusiveness. 

"By Parkhurst it is said, that episcopos 
means an overseer, an inspector, one who 
hath the inspection or oversight, a superin- 
tendent, a bishop. In the Septuagint, from 
whence the writers of the New Testament 
appear to have taken this word, it denotes 
an overseer; 1st. of the army, (Numb. xxxi. 
14; Judges ix. 28; 2 Kings xi. 15, 16.) 
2d. of workmen, (2 Chron. xxxiv. 12—17.) 



68 



THE TWINS. 



3d. of the house of the Lord, (2 Kings xi. 
18,) &c, &c. In Donnegan's Lexicon the 
same word is rendered, one who oversees and 
protects^ a president or guardian, an inspec- 
tor, a scout or spy, a bishop. 

" All these meanings certainly refer as 
much to the ruling, as the teaching elder. 
But my last argument is derived from our 
Lord's method of dealing with offenders. 
' Tell it unto the Church.' (Matt, xviii. 17.) 
Here, as in a previous case, I must refer 
you to the Old Testament, where in many 
instances, the people are said to have done 
things which were done by the elders. Thus 
Exod. iii. 14, 'Thus shalt thou say unto 
the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me 
unto you,' is immediately explained, as to 
the way in which the command was to be 
executed by adding, ' Go and gather the el- 
ders of Israel together, and say unto them,' 
&c, ' and thou shalt come, thou and the el- 
ders of Israel unto the king of Egypt. 
x\gain, we read (Exod. iv. 30, 31,) that Mo- 
ses and Aaron did the signs in the sight of 
the people, and the people believed.' But 



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69 



immediately before it had been said (verse 
29) 6 that they went and gathered together 
all the elders of the children of Israel,' 
which would be a nugatory statement, if it 
did not mean that the people who saw the 
signs and believed in consequence, were the 
elders of the people. 

" In Exod. xii. 3, the Lord says unto Moses 
and Aaron, 6 Speak ye unto all the congrega- 
tion of Israel;' but in executing this com- 
mand Moses called for all 'the elders of Is- 
rael,' and gave them the necessary orders. 
"Not to be tedious, I refer you to Exod. xix. 
8 ; Deut. v. 28 ; Lev. iv. 15, as exemplifica- 
tions of the representative character of the 
office." 

"Well, Herbert, we will coincide with 
your views on this point. What next?" 

" Why the next thing is to examine the 
text I so lately mentioned : ' Tell it unto 
the Church.' The context gives a full di- 
rection how to treat offending members, in 
order to recover them, or if they remain 
obstinate, to cast them out of the fellowship 
of the Church. The expressions made use 



70 



THE TWINS. 



of are undeniably taken from the Jewish 
dispensation. The effect of an unsuccessful 
process is thus described: 6 Let him be unto 
thee as a heathen man and a publican.' 
These words plainly refer to the contempt 
felt by the Jews for the nations around, 
and for the tax-gatherers — those covetous 
imposers, whose very existence was a proof 
that the favoured people were reduced to 
the bondage of the Roman power. Be- 
sides, the Jewish was the only Church 
then in existence — the Christian not having 
been established. But the power to pun- 
ish offenders, pronounce sentence, and regu- 
late church matters belonged to the elders of 
the synagogue. Therefore w T e conclude that 
the mode of dealing with offenders was to 
be taken from the model of that institution, 
with which the disciples were all familiar, 
and that our Saviour meant by telling it 
unto the Church, to refer the case to those 
elders whose appropriate office it was to re- 
dress grievances of this nature; and we rea- 
son by analogy, that as in the passages I 
quoted, the Israelites were said to do things 



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71 



done by their elders, so by the Church (the 
same word by which the Septuagint renders 
congregation — ecclesia,) that Christ intend- 
ed, not to publish every difficulty to each in- 
dividual member, male or female, adult or 
child, but to place it in the hands of the 
eldership. 

"If time permitted, I might advance as 
a proof of my point Heb. xiii. 17 : 1 Obey 
them that have the rule over you, and sub- 
mit yourselves,' &c. A church state is 
supposed to have existed among those to 
whom the apostle wrote, (chap. x. 24, 25.) 
which is expressed by the word synagogue 
in the Greek, where we have it 4 the assem- 
bling of yourselves together.' As the rule 
practised in that mode of worship would be 
familiar to the Hebrew converts, so they 
would well understand that the ruling, as 
well as the preaching elder, was included in 
the obedience and submission to be rendered. 
The same conclusion may be arrived at from 
1 Thess. v. 12, 13 : 1 And we beseech you, 
brethren, to know them which labour among 
you, and are over you in the Lord, and ad- 



72 



THE TWINS. 



monish you,' &c, for in Acts xvii. 1, we find 
that there was a synagogue of the Jews in 
Thessalonica, where 'Paul, as his manner 
was, went in to them, and three Sabbath days 
reasoned with them out of the Scriptures ;' the 
result was 4 that some of them believed, and 
consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the 
devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the 
chief women not a few.' A church thus 
organized could not be ignorant of the office 
of 4 the elder that ruleth well.' " 

" Well, Herbert, I think we will all allow 
that you have showed strong grounds for the 
authority of your favourite office. The next 
thing will, I suppose, be to enforce its claims 
to our regard.'' 

" You may well say so; for how superior 
are the grounds on which our ruling elders 
might assert their prerogative to 4 feed the 
Church of God over them which the Holy 
Ghost hath made overseers,' to those on 
which the vestry-men or committee-men of 
other denominations act. These are con- 
fessedly of human origin — a merely pruden- 
tial organization, irresponsible in their deci- 



THE TWINS. 



78 



sions to any tribunal whatever, and if not 
members of the church, as is frequently the 
case, unfit to legislate in the things of the 
kingdom. " 

Here the noise of childish grief interrupt- 
ed the conversation, and Mabel and her 
train were seen advancing in sad confusion. 
Edith recognized the voice of Nannie, and 
hastened to inquire into the cause of her 
distress. The poor child was wet, as if she 
had fallen into the water, and the blood 
streamed from a wound in her head. It ap- 
peared that in gathering wild flowers near a 
brook, she pulled some that Fannie was de- 
termined to possess. Nannie tried to resist 
the unjust demand, but before Mabel had 
time to interpose, the elder sister had push- 
ed poor Nannie into the water, and in fall- 
ing, her head came against a stone with such 
violence as to inflict a serious hurt. The 
sufferer was immediately taken up stairs, 
where her head was bound up, and she was 
carefully placed in a warm bed, and she 
soon fell asleep. Her concern for her sister 
seemed to make her uneasy in her slumber ; 
7 



74 



THE TWINS. 



and "Don't be angry with Fannie; please^ 
father, don't whip her;" was frequently re- 
peated. "She will be good soon; I am sure 
she will. She cannot help getting good here 
where everybody is so kind to us. I do 
love you, ray dear mother." With such 
broken sentences her rest was disturbed, her 
breathing difficult, and her countenance flush- 
ed. Edith trembled as she thought of the 
fever that had attacked her aunt, and deter- 
mined to watch by her bedside during the 
night. The offender seemed evidently ill at 
ease, though by no means prepared to con- 
fess herself in the wrong, and observed a 
sulky silence. Mrs. Lindsay took her into 
her own room that Nannie might not be 
annoyed by a bedfellow, as it was evident 
that she was hourly getting worse. Deli- 
rium soon came on, when the same idea of 
shielding her sister was still manifested in 
her ravings. First begging for pardon for her 
sister, then entreating her to kiss and make 
friends, she talked incessantly. " You know 
I never told on you whenever you hurt me 
before," she exclaimed, "and indeed I would 



THE TW INS. 



75 



not have said a word about it now, if aunt 
Mabel had not come up before I got out of 
the brook." Edith could scarcely restrain her 
tears at the evidence, so unconsciously given, 
of the tyranny of one sister, and the meek- 
ness of the other. By daylight the physi- 
cian was with her, and he confirmed the 
most serious apprehensions of Mrs. Neville, 
pronouncing the disease a fever of the most 
malignant kind. 

Every precaution was at once taken to 
prevent the spread of the disorder to the 
other children, whom Mrs. Lindsay offered 
to take to the country at once. Mabel re- 
mained to assist Edith in taking care of 
Nannie, in conjunction with an experienced 
nurse, recommended by the doctor. Up to 
this period Fannie had showed no tokens of 
contrition ; but when she found how much 
every one was alarmed about her. sister, her 
pride gave way, and she shed bitter tears of 
anguish and self-condemnation ; then coming 
to Edith, she begged her forgiveness in the 
humblest manner. "Oh! mother," said the 
weeping girl, "I must call you mother now, 



76 



THE TWINS, 



for you act like a mother — but what will 
become of me? I am like that naughty- 
Cain, Ellen talks about, who killed his bro- 
ther. What would my first mother that is 
in heaven say to me now ? She would not 
have me for her child. Oh ! if I only knew 
how, I would pray to God to have mercy on 
me and make my dear Nannie well again !" 

Edith's tender heart was affected by this 
burst of agonized feeling, but she felt it 
right, to set in plain terms the evil effects of 
Fannie's violence before her, and besought 
her never again to grieve a sister so fondly 
attached to her. She also took the opportu- 
nity to urge the necessity of seeking the 
forgiveness of God, spoke of his compassion 
for sinners and his willingness to pardon the 
penitent, proposing at last to spend a few 
minutes in prayer together. Fannie gladly 
consented, and when they rose from their 
knees, her countenance wore an expression 
of humble grief that differed widely from its 
usual haughty expression. 



THE TWINS. 



77 



CHAPTER V. 

DUTIES OF THE ELDERSHIP. 

" Occupy till I come." 

How painful is the transition from the 
cheerful activity of a household in time of 
health, to the hushed and noiseless move- 
ments, prescribed in sickness ! Deeply was 
this realized at Violet Vale, during the day 
succeeding Nannie's seizure ; for the children 
were absent — those privileged disturbers of 
domestic quiet — and the older members of 
the family trod lightly, and spoke gently, 
lest they might disturb the unconscious 
sufferer. Mr. Neville was not only under 
great concern for his child, but was also 
tortured with the fear that Edith might be 
affected by exposure to the contagion; but no 
entreaties could prevail on her to leave the 
little girl, even though the excuse of her 
infant might by many have been thought 
sufficient. But she preferred to banish the 

nurseling from her bosom, rather than leave 
7* 



78 



THE TWINS. 



one whom she thought had the strongest 
claim on her attentions. Her husband 
shared her vigils, and assisted her during 
the day; but towards evening, the nurse 
urged on them both the necessity of a little 
relaxation from their anxious toil, and they 
agreed to leave Nannie to her care awhile. 
Herbert was sitting in the usual place, with 
Mabel at his side. The latter welcomed 
them, but remarked, " I doubt our conversa- 
tions are at an end for the present, as your 
minds are too much occupied with private 
trouble, to dwell on public duties." 

" Quite the contrary," said Edith; "we 
have come down for that very purpose. 
Nurse seems very attentive, and has pro- 
mised to call us when the time for the medi- 
cine comes round ; and we both feel that this 
opportunity of learning what is incumbent 
on Christians should not be lost, because the 
Lord's hand is laid upon us." 

" You are right in that deduction, sister," 
replied Herbert; " and if Neville can com- 
mand his attention, there is no reason why 
we should not go on. There is, at least, no 



THE TWINS. 



79 



fear of interruption from our dear, noisy- 
children. I will therefore consider the du- 
ties which devolve on the eldership, some of 
which do not immediately respect their 
office, but have an important bearing on 
their official standing. And the first of this 
class which I shall mention, is prudence in 
their secular affairs. Most of our elders are 
engaged in business, and it is of essential 
moment, that they should so conduct their 
employments as to escape the suspicion of 
worldliness. I do not mean that they are 
to be remiss in their vocation, whatever it 
may be; far from it— for one who is inactive 
for himself, will be so for the church; and it 
is indispensable that they practice diligence 
and frugality, that they may walk honestly 
to those that are without, provide for their 
own families, and have something to give to 
him that needeth. But all this is very far 
removed from a spirit of speculation, greed 
of gain, or want of punctuality in pecuniary 
engagements. Embarrassment in money 
matters is of itself a serious bar to an elder's 
usefulness; much more so when it is occa- 



80 



THE TWINS. 



sioned by negligence or indiscretion. There 
is no vice, in the present day, so universal 
as covetousness; and none which should be 
more guarded against by the standard-bear- 
ers of the Lord's host. Insidious in its ap- 
proaches, plausible in its excuses, this ser- 
pent-fiend allures its victims, till its many 
folds have encircled them, and the life of 
godliness is crushed out under its convolu- 
tions. Oh! that the elders of the Church 
would see to it, that they withstand the first 
approaches of this decent sin. But another 
point of duty, twice insisted on by Paul, in 
directing about these overseers of Zion, is 
the proper government of their own house. 
When the children of elders are to be found 
anywhere but in their seats in the house of 
God, it is a bad sign of the state of things 
at home; 4 if a man knows not how to rule 
his own house, how shall he take care of the 
church of God?' In these days, men seem 
to think all their duty to their families con- 
sists in making money for them, even though 
the effect is to render the sons dissipated 
and idle, and the daughters extravagant and 



THE T W INS. 



81 



useless; and during the process, all parental 
responsibility is laid on the poor mother, 
often ill-fitted, either by want of health, edu- 
cation, or leisure, to sustain the burthen to 
which she is condemned. No wonder that 
there are so many wilful Absaloms and 
mourning Davids! The conscientious elder, 
then, should instruct his children in their 
religious duties, take them to the sanctuary, 
and ferventlv commend them to a covenant 
God in prayer. This is the more to be 
insisted on, because it is from the sons 
of the eldership that the Church must 
look for a large portion of her ministers. 
Hitherto, I acknowledge, the number has 
been comparatively small that has been re- 
ceived from this channel; but methinks bet- 
ter days are coming, in which the first fruits 
of our families, as well as our substance, will 
be consecrated to the Lord. This idea is 
quite consonant to the next duty we will 
consider — that of 6 devising liberal things' 
for benevolent objects. With the present 
extending views of the paramount obligation 
resting on Christians to contribute of their 



82 



THE TWINS. 



substance, an elder is unsuited to the office 
who does not set a good example to the flock 
in this respect. The pastor, however it may- 
be in his heart to do great things, often has 
to lament his inability and slender means; 
but the ruling presbyter is frequently in a 
position that allows him ample scope for this 
delightful service; and never, never will the 
Church come up to the requisitions of duty 
in this particular, till her spiritual guides 
shall lead the way." 

"You lay great stress upon systematic 
giving, brother," said Edith. 

"I do, sister. How can we expect a 
blessing from God, while we withhold those 
thank-offerings which he has a right to ex- 
pect? Not that our contributions should be 
considered as a way of purchasing the Lord's 
favour, or that we should attempt, by en- 
dowing a monastery, or decorating a shrine, 
to cover a multitude of sins; but they should 
be brought into the treasury of God, because 
he claims them, because we owe them, and 
because of the blessings he has promised us 
in consequence. There is another duty 



THE TWINS. 



83 



which seems to come under this miscellane- 
ous class, and that is, that the ruling elders 
should watch over the interests and promote 
the comfort of their pastor. Much is in- 
cluded under this head, which the limits of 
these conversations will not permit us to 
dwell upon, but I will mention some items. 
Where strangers make such frequent appeals 
to the minister's hospitality as is often done, 
especially in our country congregations, are 
not the elders better situated to entertain 
the frequently-arriving guest than he can 
be? Would it not cheer the heart of a cler- 
gyman, to see that his elders were willing to 
abound 6 in the riches of their liberality,' to 
spare the outlay of his limited income ; or 
save his sick wife from the perplexities inci- 
dent to hospitality with an empty cupboard ? 
Another means of lightening ministerial 
cares would be found by the elders inducing 
the congregation to effect the life insurance 
of their preacher. This desirable method of 
securing a resource for the widow and the 
fatherless, ought not to be neglected by 
those who, being salaried men, know that 



84 



THE TWINS. 



with their own life terminates the income 
which is required for the support of their 
family; but the greatest obstacle to its being 
done by the pastor, is that he cannot spare 
the annual payments from his stipend; but 
these, if collected by voluntary subscriptions, 
or a stated assessment on the pews, would 
not be burthensome to any one, while the 
aggregate thus produced, would remove a 
heavy load of care from the anxious husband 
and parent, and soothe his harassed mind 
with the certainty of his people's attach- 
ment." 

"I do think that is a very good plan, 
Herbert, and should rejoice if it were uni- 
versally practised, for the pitiable situation 
of unprovided widows or orphans must be- 
dew the pastor's death-bed with the bitter- 
est regret; and either of the modes you 
suggested is feasible and easy. What else 
is to be done for the ministry V 

" The next mode of alleviating the pas- 
tor's perplexities, Neville, is to collect a 
church library, to be arranged in a session- 
room or study- — call it what you please — 



THE TWINS. 



85 



where he might advantageously be occupied 
during the interval between the services of 
public worship, and from whence a door 
opening to the pulpit might give him en- 
trance to the sacred desk, without the pub- 
licity of a passage through the aisles of the 
church. Here valuable or scarce books, 
new religious publications, and church litera- 
ture in general, would give a minister many 
an intellectual treat, without his pocket suf- 
fering by the transaction.' ' 

" I think I can recognize a woman's hint 
there, Herbert," said Mr. Neville. "I sup- 
pose Mabel is like all the ladies, apt to com- 
plain if her husband ventures to buy too 
many books." 

"It was not Mabel, but my mother, who 
suggested the plan, Neville. I think the 
idea is a good one, and in process of time, 
works might be collected of great value, 
though perhaps too expensive for an indi- 
vidual to purchase. As the session are to 
have means of access to the library, they 
might benefit by the arrangement nearly as 
much as the preacher." 
8 



86 



THE TWINS. 



"Another duty clearly belonging to the 
eldership — and more especially so, where 
deacons are not to be found — is to superin- 
tend collections made in the congregation 
for benevolent objects." 

" An elder is a working bee in your hive, 
brother." 

"Let us work while it is called to-day, for 
the night eometh when no man can work. 
We find this was the accustomed work of 
the elders, in the days of the apostles; for 
we are told, that the Christians in Antioch, 
every man according to his ability, deter- 
mined to send relief unto the brethren which 
dwelt in Judea; which also they did, and 
sent it to the elders by the hands of Barna- 
bas and Saul. Now, as the apostles made 
over the ministration of the saints to the 
care of deacons, that they might give them- 
selves continually to prayer, and to the min- 
istry of the word, it seems evident that these 
elders ruled rather than preached. Be this 
as it may, the duty of the office is clearly, in 
our times, to act as overseers of the charities 
of the Church." 



THE I WINS. 



87 



"But, Herbert, would not this clash with 
the agencies of the different Boards of the 
Church ?" 

"With the agents? Yes. With the 
Boards? No. It is for this very object 
of strengthening church effort, and at the 
same time obviating the time and money 
consumed in agencies, that I would most 
strenuously — as far as my feeble influence 
can extend — assert the necessity for the el- 
dership taking this department into their 
own hands. 

"They are of the people, and know their 
ability to give, and would not feel as some 
ministers have been compelled to do, the 
fear that every cent devoted to contingent 
calls was so much deducted from their own 
meager pittance. It would prevent the min- 
ister from having to talk so much about 
money, and relieve him from many a di- 
lemma when applied to, perhaps most inop- 
portunely, to solicit his people's liberality in 
behalf of doubtful objects, if he could roll 
this burthen from him to those who are bet- 
ter fitted to sustain it." 



88 



THE TWINS. 



" Well, how would you manage matters on 
your new organization, Herbert?" 

"Ask, rather/' exclaimed Mabel, "how 
he has managed them ; for the plan has been 
actually tried in the congregation, and works 
well, I assure you." 

"That is still more satisfactory; for I 
confess I like practice better than theory. 
But I return to the question, how do you 
arrange your operations?" 

"Do not think me an egotist, if I am 
compelled, in answer to your question, to 
speak of myself. In the first place, being 
satisfied of the binding nature of the ob- 
ligation, I preached at some length on 
the duty of religious consecration of sub- 
stance, and scattered among my session and 
people several popular works on the same 
subject. On the New Year's day imme- 
diately succeeding this previous training, my 
elders each visited their district — for the 
congregation had been divided in this man- 
ner to prevent confusion — and placed a book 
in the hands of each of the members, that 
they might decide on the portion they would 



THE TWINS. 



89 



give, the manner of its allotment, and the 
time when they preferred to be called on; 
though where this preference did not exist, 
a weekly or monthly contribution was urged 
as most in accordance with the apostolic in- 
junction, or rather command. 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2. 
These books were arranged for the several 
Boards of the Church, and every three 
months all the money brought in was sent 
to its place of destination; regular accounts 
being kept by the elder of the district, and 
receipts given and taken by all the parties. " 

"Was your salary among the apportion- 
ments, Herbert?" 

u No; that was secured by a valuation 
put upon the pews; but of course it was 
considered as a part of the offerings, though, 
happily for me, it was not contingent. 
Well, our amount was small at first, and 
many were the fears entertained that the 
church would give less than on the old sys- 
tem; but by degrees the sums to each object 
were increased, and the advantage of con- 
tributing by system, instead of by impulse, 
and from a sense of obligation rather than 
8* 



90 



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as a matter of caprice, were sensibly discov- 
ered. Now, we are considered to be very 
liberal; the Boards can depend on our quar- 
terly contributions, and no agent is required 
to drum up our drowsy donors to' their work. 
But the best thing is, that our plan allows 
all to contribute. If the widow's mite was 
so acceptable in the days of our Lord, it 
should not now be overlooked, nor should 
the poor be debarred from participating in 
that luxury which the rich so often are dis- 
posed to monopolize, the luxury of doing 
good. Even the Bible-classes and Sabbath- 
school children are encouraged to contrib- 
ute; and as Mabel takes charge of this 
branch of the business, it would do you 
good to watch the importance with which 
each little hand deposits the pennies in the 
6 sacred sugar-bowl' — an immense old relic 
brought from Magnolia Grove, I believe, 
and reserved for this sole purpose. When 
the article is full, a vote is taken as to the 
use to which it is to be appropriated; and 
Mabel generally contrives a little treat on 
the occasion, such as a walk to the grove, a 



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91 



simple supper, or a regale on fruit and gin- 
gerbread. But another subject which I 
should like to point out to ruling elders as 
then' appropriate province, if not a bounden 
duty, is the charge of the religious litera- 
ture of the church. There is often a disad- 
vantage in the ignorance of business, which 
ministers suffer from so much, if they go 
out of their peculiar province; and if not 
disabled by sickness from performing the 
functions of their own profession, all the 
time devoted to editorship is lost to the 
church. For many reasons, a layman is 
better fitted to jostle his way in the world, 
and attend to those details and pecuniary 
items which are essential to success in this 
department." 

" I fear you will supercede the preaching 
elder altogether, Herbert, if you go much 
further with your reforms." 

"No danger. My aim is to make him 
more efficient by enabling him to concen- 
trate his energies on his own appropriate 
vocation. But I see that Edith is consulting 
her watch, and I will therefore mention the 



92 



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only remaining duty of the eldership belong- 
ing to this class, which I propose to enlarge 
on — I mean that of church-extension. This 
is one of those plans of doing good which 
seems of all others to require lay co-opera- 
tion. No doubt it has often devolved on the 
minister ; but he always works to a disad- 
vantage when not accompanied by one or 
two active ruling elders ; for, be it remem- 
bered, tricks and mortar do not make a 
church. The building may be erected, per- 
haps, without a debt being incurred — though 
unfortunately this is seldom the case— hear- 
ers may be attracted, a Sabbath-school com- 
menced, and all appear promising ; but 
without a session of piety and vigour, there 
is little hope of ultimate success. This kind 
of missionary undertaking is of itself so 
disheartening, so different from the regular 
ministration to a settled congregation, that 
a pastor needs all the encouragement that 
can be given him; and stronger churches 
should not grudge him an elder or two just 
because they dislike to part with efficient 
men themselves." 



THE TWINS. 



93 



"I think that it must be very trying to 
preach to an unsettled omnium- gather um 
kind of people." 

" It must indeed, Neville. The migratory 
habits of the suburban population of our 
large towns is of itself a great impediment 
to the growth and prosperty of a church. 
I have known such an one, in which the first 
of April brought annually a striking change 
in the aspect of the congregation; so that 
while the admission of members was con- 
stant, there was little increase to the stand- 
ing number. Then their poverty prevents 
their doing much to support the gospel." 

"It is to be hoped that the revelations of 
the great day of retribution will bring to 
light the fruits of labours so self-denying as 
those you have alluded to ; and I do think 
that able churches should be willing to spare 
both men and money to build up these 
waste places of Zion." 

" I have lately heard of a plan for church- 
extension which would combine many advan- 
tages. It is this : let the money raised in a 
Presbytery as a fund for this object, be 



94 



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loaned to infant congregations for a given 
term of years, without interest; if they 
prosper as they ought, they will be able for 
a second period to pay the interest annually, 
and at the end of this time they should be 
expected to refund the principal, which 
should immediately be applied to assist some 
other church that requires help. I will 
complete the enumeration of the duties of 
the eldership at another opportunity, and 
thus allow you to resume your seat by poor 
Nannie." 

" Thank you for your consideration, bro- 
ther," replied Edith; "we shall attend all 
the better for this kindness of yours. And 
if it is any compliment, be assured that I, 
for one, am very much interested in your 
discussion; and sincerely hope that Neville 
will profit by it." So saying, she glided to 
the sick child's bed, but no cheering symp- 
tom greeted her approach. The delirium 
had now subsided into a lethargy even more 
distressing than her bursts of excitement; 
and the doctor's grave looks convinced the 
anxious parents that Nannie was in a situa- 



THE TWINS. 



95 



tion of the greatest peril. For several days 
this state of things continued, during which 
the watchful parents continued to make use 
of every remedy prescribed, though with but 
little hope of her recovery." A constant 
communication was kept up with the chil- 
dren, by means of Herbert, who on this ac- 
count forbore from entering the chamber of 
disease. Mrs. Lindsay's care had been suc- 
cessful in preserving the health of her pre- 
cious charge; but Fannie had manifested 
such deep and enduring grief, that this lady 
began to fear that it would be productive of 
serious injury to her. " If I could only go 
to see her, but for a minute!" she would 
exclaim ; and her petitions to this effect were 
so urgent, that at last Herbert promised to 
induce her parents to consent to the meet- 
ing. One difficulty, however, arose, and 
that was, whether it would be safe for her to 
return to the children. At last she was told 
of all the hazard to herself which would be 
incurred by a visit, and informed that if she 
went to Violet Vale, she must remain there, 
to prevent danger to the younger ones. " 1 



96 



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hardly feel as if we were doing right to leave 
this matter to her decision/' said her father, 
"and yet I know the lesson will be so forci- 
ble that I cannot tell how to omit it. May 
the Lord overrule all for good!" 

In pursuance of this plan, the subject of 
Fannie's return to her sister was left to her 
own choice, and she gladly accepted the of- 
fer. Never was a greater contrast displayed 
than was to be found in her behaviour now 
from what it had been formerly. The proud 
and haughty mien was now exchanged for 
the deepest dejection, and instead of the 
rudeness formerly manifested to her parents, 
there was a touching humbleness and affec- 
tion, as pleasing to them as unlooked for. 
"Is there any hope, mother?" was her first 
question. "Yes, my child, while there's 
life there's hope," returned Edith, striving 
against her own forebodings to encourage 
the penitent girl. "Thank God for that!" 
she exclaimed. "How shall I pay you, 
mother, for all your goodness?— but if she 
only gets well, I will never grieve her 
again." Nor was her sorrow shown by 



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97 



looks and words only; Edith found her the 
most, willing and quiet little assistant in run- 
ning errands and performing such services 
as were in her power. ( At other times, 
she sat with Mabel, who went on with her 
lessons as Mrs. Lindsay had done, or helped 
Herbert as he worked in the garden at such 
matters as were suited to her age and 
strength. In short, the amendment was so 
visible that Edith whispered to her husband, 
" If Nannie is but spared to us, we shall yet 
have reason to rejoice in this affliction for 
Fannie's sake." This was now the absorb- 
ing question— was that fair and opening bud 
of immortality to expand in vigour and grow 
in life, or was it to be crushed beneath the 
heavy hand of death ? By slow degrees the 
fever yielded to the skill of the physician 
and the watchfulness of the attendants; and 
little by little her strength returned; the 
children were recalled, and the house of 
mourning was changed into one of thanks- 
giving and joy. 



9 



98 



THE TWINS. 



CHAPTER VI. 

DUTIES OF THE ELDERSHIP CONTINUED. 

" Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." 

As soon as family matters had returned to 
their usual routine, Mr. Neville urged Her- 
bert to recommence his instructions on the 
eldership, adding, "We must soon leave 
your hospitable roof, and I want to receive 
all the benefit I can before we go." 

" Well then," answered the young pastor, 
"we will go on at the usual time this even- 
ing." 

The accustomed hour returned, finding 
the gentlemen on their favourite piazza; 
Mrs. Lindsay was already seated, with Ellen 
at her side ; Nannie, stretched on a sofa in 
the parlour, was placed near enough to the 
open window to enjoy the evening breeze; 
while Fannie gently fanned her, often stoop- 



THE TWINS. 99 



ing to kiss the pale cheek of her sister; and 
Edith, though attending to the conversation, 
kept close watch on the invalid. Herbert 
commenced as follows : "We are now about 
to speak of those duties which devolve on 
elders as such, and which directly respect 
their official appointment. These are per- 
formed by elders individually, or in their 
collective and sessional capacity. I will first 
mention some of the first class. * In every 
congregation there should be defined dis- 
tricts, placed under the charge of each elder. 
These should not be so large as to be bur- 
thensome. or encroach too much on the time 
of the elders, and therefore it is better, 
when they do not include more than twenty- 
five or thirty families. Each elder is to be 
furnished with a district book, which should 
contain the bounds of the district, with its 
localities, the names of the members, their 
places of residence, and occupation, together 
with the number and ages of the children. 
To this might be added any peculiarity in 
their history or circumstances. Some de- 
gree of attention is needed to correct this 



100 



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memorandum from time to time, as to remo- 
vals, &c, but the plan is practicable, and 
will be found highly advantageous. It will 
be especially useful to have this book well 
and accurately kept, to perform another 
duty of the most imperative nature— that 
the elder may visit his district statedly/' 

"Why surely, brother," said Edith, "it 
would be enough if the elder visited with the 
pastor, without engaging in it alone." 

"A little reflection, my dear sister, will 
convince you that this will not suffice. The 
minister is certainly bound to inspect all the 
congregation ; but this process takes a long 
time, and these periodical calls are indeed 
few and far between. The elder, in his 
small district, is differently circumstanced, 
and can, without much loss of time, visit all 
the families under his charge, every six 
months. These visits must be duly reported 
to the session. Formality is not essential 
to this intercourse, which should be decided- 
ly more familiar and social than pastoral 
visitation. A large and flourishing church, 
well known to my mother, as she has often 



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101 



told me, received great benefit from the 
faithfulness of an elder's visits." 

" Yes," replied Mrs. Lindsay; " few young 
pastors were better sustained by an ener- 
getic session, than the late Dr. D., before 
he swerved from the doctrines of the Con- 
fession of Faith.. If a well known face 
were absent from the sanctuary, one of 
these faithful watchmen was sure to visit 
the individual on Monday, to learn the 
cause; and the knowledge of this had a 
powerful effect in enforcing punctuality of 
attendance." 

"It is objected to our system," returned 
Herbert, "that we do not know enough of 
each other, nor perform those injunctions of 
Holy Writ, as regards ' exhorting one an- 
other,' 6 considering one another to provoke 
unto love and to good works,' with many 
others of a like import ; now this visiting of 
the elders will enable them to meet this dif- 
ficulty. Nor need it be feared that such an 
one will meet with a cold reception ; let the 
trial be made, and it will soon be found by 
the cordial smile and friendly greeting, that 
9* 



102 



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these moments are not spent in vain. ¥or 7 
a short call, a friendly inquiry, where there 
is not time for more, will at least keep 
bright the chain of connection between the 
church members and their chosen superin- 
tendents. But there are three classes that 
more especially call for the notice of the 
ruling elder in his visits. First, the sick. 
How highly prized are the attentions of the 
session in sickness and suffering! and how 
much good can be done by a judicious per- 
formance of this good work ! 1 How often 
may temporal counsel and aid be added to 
religious consolation ! 

"The idea of being forgotten by our .spir- 
itual guides, in our affliction, is inexpressibly 
painful ; and often the season when good 
might be effected is misimproved, while the 
progress of disease curtails the time for in- 
struction or advice, till perhaps the thread 
of life is cut, ere the process of preparation 
for a better world had even commenced. 
Friends may be unwilling to suggest the dis- 
mal possibility of a fatal termination to 
disease; but the elder, by his prayers, his 



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103 



teaching, and his reading of Scripture, may 
be blessed in his endeavours to lead the 
mind to the great physician, Christ Jesus. 

" Well do I remember a case, of a very- 
interesting young girl, whose mother was a 
real Christian, but timid, and discouraged 
by the opposition of her husband to religion; 
and during all the illness of the daughter, 
neither pastor nor elder ever called to in- 
quire into her hopes, or admonish her of an 
impending eternity ; so that, except the con- 
versation and prayers of the mother, no ef- 
fort for the conversion of her immortal soul 
was made. If we see Romanists pressing 
with. the most disgusting officiousness to palm 
their unmeaning ceremonies on all to whom 
they can lay the slightest claim, should not 
Christian elders emulate their zeal, and 
strive 1 to visit the fatherless and widows in 
their affliction?' " 

"But," observed Mr. Neville, "we often 
find physicians object to the attendance of 
pious people, or the introduction of prayer 
for the sick." 

"We do, and sometimes even good men 



104 



r 

THE TWINS. 



are not judicious in their efforts at the bed- 
side of illness. Let the elder, then, study 
to time his visits rightly, to have his 6 words 
few and well chosen/ and to soothe and in- 
terest, rather than to excite or to alarm the 
sufferer. But a second class are backsliders. 
This dangerous state has often small begin- 
nings; and if these are watched for, and 
faithfully represented to the offender, we 
cannot doubt but that the happiest results 
would follow. Absence from church and 
prayer-meetings, a lax state of family disci- 
pline, and above all, intemperance, have 
sometimes been the entering wedge to all. 
that debasement and disgrace, which belongs 
to an abandonment of privilege and hope. 
I am well aware, that the greatest tender- 
ness and care are necessary, if we would 
comply with the injunction — 4 Thou shalt in 
any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suf- 
fer sin upon him;' but if the attempt were 
more frequently made, in that meek, prayer- 
ful spirit which the work requires, we might 
hope for the fulfilment of the promise — 
'Brethren, if any of you do err from the 



THE TWINS. 105 



truth, and one convert him, let him know, 
that he which converteth the sinner from the 
error of his way, shall save a soul from 
death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.' 
The third class that demands particular 
attention from the elder, are the young. If 
there be a parochial school attached to the 
church, it seems very natural to have it 
placed under the control of the session; but 
independent of this, the catechizing and 
Sabbath-school instruction of the lambs of 
the flock, might well require the supervision 
of the overseers of the church. I remember 
one instance, in which the session was called 
on for rather an unusual exercise of their 
vigilance. Mother, you know what I refer 
to. Perhaps you will tell Neville about the 
little prayer-meeting?" 

" With pleasure, my son. The prayer- 
meeting you refer to, was commenced by a 
few girls, of twelve or thirteen years of age, 
and afterwards was increased to upwards of 
twenty. My observations, however, are 
more especially to refer to its originators. 
These children all belonged to a cotton-fac- 



4 



106 THE TWINS. 



tory; and to so late an hour was their 
attendance there required, that they were 
compelled to do without supper, if they went 
to the prayer-meeting. But their suppers 
were not the only offering made at the 
shrine of duty; though this, after a long 
day's work in the close atmosphere of their 
scene of labour, was no trifling one. They 
were all members of the Sabbath-school, 
and afterwards nearly all joined the church; 
their uniting together for prayer was entire- 
ly their own act, and they were all expected 
to take an active part in turn. 

"For a while, no one knew of their meet- 
ings, but at length they applied to one of 
the elders to form them into a society, 
auxiliary to the Western Foreign Mission- 
ary Society. This was done, and they made 
their pastor a life member, by a weekly sub- 
scription from their earnings at the mill, of 
six cents per week. After this, the elders 
and pastor often attended their meetings, 
without, however, interfering with their man- 
ner of proceeding. It was my privilege to 
be with them occasionally, and I can truly 



THE TWINS. 



107 



say that I never felt more delighted, than 
"when I heard their fervent petitions for their 
minister — then confined to his bed with dan- 
gerous illness — took part in their songs of 
praise, or witnessed their devout and orderly 
behaviour. One of the most prominent of 
their number was a girl named Isabella Ken- 
nedy, who was early called to the upper 
sanctuary; it has always been matter of re- 
gret to me, that her ardent, humble piety, 
had not been made more fully known, by 
the publication of her memoirs, as it might 
have been useful to the humble class of life 
in which her lot was cast, and which is gen- 
erally found to be so adverse to active, vital 
religion. But I doubt not that her 'record 
is on high.' " 

"It is rather uncommon to have such 
piety showed by factory children, is it not, 
aunt ?" 

46 It certainly is, Edith; but their whole 
conduct was as consistent in the mill as at 
the prayer-meeting, and they were held up 
as models by all who knew them. Four of 
them, to my knowledge, witnessed a good 



108 



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confession on a dying bed; the others I 
have not had an opportunity of hearing of 
for some years past." 

" Another duty which rests with the elder ? 
either individually or unitedly with others/ 7 
continued Herbert, "is the holding of social 
meetings for prayer, in his own district,, 
These, if taken to the houses of members, 
will generally attract the neighbours, and 
thus much good may be brought to people's 
own doors. In one instance, this plan was 
resorted to with such success, that a promis- 
ing colony — if I may so call it — was formed, 
without the pastor's having at all assisted in 
its organization. 

" In times of religious excitement, this 
kind of meeting is very useful ; and as the 
minister will always be a welcome visitor, he 
may, by attending in rotation, always meet 
with one of these praying circles, and give 
them the advantage of his presence and in- 
structions. But I must hasten over this part 
of my subject, and consider the duties of 
elders in session assembled. 

"And the first remark I would make is ? 



THE TWINS. 



109 



that their meetings should be frequent. Once 
a month is as seldom as is consistent with 
due watchfulness over the interests of the 
church. I know a congregation in which, 
on a stated day, the pastor and elders take 
tea together at the house of one in rotation, 
monthly; these social meetings are well 
fitted for that friendly intercourse so need- 
ful to their efficiency as a whole. As large 
a portion of the sittings as possible, should 
be employed in religious exercises; for it 
never ought to be forgotten, that keeping up 
the life of faith in their own hearts, is the 
only way by which their influence over 
others can be sustained. 

"Secondly: The acts of the session should 
be regularly recorded, much after trouble is 
saved, by order and method at first. But 
besides the ordinary session book, it seems 
desirable to have a congregational record, 
compiled from the district books of the 
elders, which shall at one glance give a state- 
ment of the situation of the congregation; 
and which must be rectified and corrected 
from time to time. One of the particular 
10 



110 



THE TWINS. 



items of this record should be, the number, 
age, and circumstances, of the baptized 
youth of the church. To this class — so 
tenderly reccommended by our Lord, and so 
accessible to pastoral care and spiritual 
nurture — too little care has been given by 
the officers of the Lord's house. Is our 
baptism merely a ceremony? or have the 
prayers and guardianship of the church no 
meaning in our ears ? Were prayer for, and 
instruction of, these dear youth more promi- 
nently called up to the church's attention, 
we should not have to mourn as we may now, 
over those stray lambs who have forsaken 
our safe enclosures, for other denominations, 
more alluring to the senses. 

"Thirdly: It is the duty of elders to ad- 
mit communicants to the fellowship of the 
church. This is an arduous and responsible 
function, and demands the utmost circum- 
spection; especially in these days of profes- 
sion : for while it is injudicious to refuse the 
children's bread to those who possess a 
right to it, it is a great mistake to fill the 
church with nominal professors — worldly- 



THE TWINS 



111 



minded, pleasure-seeking, or money-loving 
saints." 

"That last epithet, does not accord with 
those that precede it, Herbert." 

"Alas! no : and how often is the conjunc- 
tion found, as far at least as profession goes ; 
for we know a real Christian is not of this 
description. It is the duty of the session to 
examine candidates for church privileges, on 
their knowledge in religious subjects. So 
great is the remissness on this head, that 
one might almost think that Presbyterians 
endorsed the Papist axiom, that 4 ignorance 
is the mother of devotion.' So foreign, 
however, is this theory to our system, that 
it never can be amalgamated with it: and 
the unlearned are of necessity unstable, 
also. The admirable form of 6 sound words' 
in use among us, has been too much con- 
sidered as applicable only to children ; 
whereas there is no one too well informed, 
to benefit by its well-connected chain of 
doctrines and precepts. 

"It was well said by a candidate for the 
ministry, when asked where he had acquired 



112 



THE TWINS. 



his theological information — ' I learned it at 
my father's knee:' for it is only in early 
life, that the memory can readily acquire 
that furniture which is needed in the con- 
flicts of after years. But the session should 
inquire into the faith of those who ask ad- 
mission to the church. Here is a question 
of great difficulty; they who come forward 
with a glowing experience, are not always 
the most eminent Christians, while some- 
times the youth or diffidence of the applicant, 
makes the work of examination almost nomi- 
nal." 

"And yet," said Mrs. Lindsay," these 
trembling believers are as precious to their 
Master, as if they had the fluency and confi- 
dence of an undoubting Christian." 

"No doubt of that, dear mother, and such 
should be tenderly dealt with. But the ses- 
sion must inquire also about the repentance, 
love, and new obedience, of those who would 
unite with them, for all these are of vital 
importance. 

"It is also desirable, that the session im- 
presses on the minds of applicants, that there 



THE TWINS. 113 

are duties to be done, as well as truth to be 
believed. A regular attendance on public 
worship and social religious meetings; and 
punctual attention to family worship* — when 
they are heads of families — and piety at 
home; an adherence to temperance, and a 
conscientious appropriation of substance to 
the Lord; these should be insisted on as the 
bounden duty of those who would be free- 
men in that household of faith, where the 
word of God is the charter of our rights, and 
Heaven itself the inheritance provided for 
us. This too is the time, while the candle 
of the Lord shines brightly, to call on the 
young communicant to engage in prayer, in 
the social meetings of the district, or the 
church. Few would dare refuse at such a 
period, when the feelings are ardent and the 
hearts alive to every call of duty. But it 
also belongs to the session to administer 
church discipline. This is a most important 
part of their official trust, and too often 
neglected. The garden of the Lord cannot 
prosper, if noxious weeds are allowed to 
grow among the plants of grace, and mere 
10* 



114 



THE TWINS. 



objurgatory denunciations from the pulpit 
ill supply the want of this faithful guardian- 
ship. The shame and scandal of an open 
trial must always, if possible, be avoided, 
because the government of the church is of a 
parental character, always based on the 
voluntary subjection of its members to those 
who are set over them in the Lord." 

"I have heard of some ministers who, 
when their members acted inconsistently, 
read them out of the church, as it is called, 
without warning or process.' ' 

"Such pastors showed their utter igno- 
rance of the regulations of our system; but 
lenity and blind submission to prevailing fol- 
lies are more usual than a contrary extreme. 
It is very much to be wished that a session 
should be characterized by unanimity in 
their decisions, and that entire silence be 
observed as to matters transacted by them 
when assembled for official purposes; nor 
should they, even after sentence for his of- 
fence has been pronounced on the erring 
brother, lose sight of him, but endeavor by 
every proper method to win him back to the 



THE TWINS. 



115 



friendship of the church. I have sometimes 
seen a spirit of favoritism in church censures 
that seemed akin to the one James reproves 
in his epistle, (chap, ii.) when a poor man 
given to intemperance was made to stand 
and be rebuked before the assembled church, 
while richer drunkards were passed by in si- 
lence and impunity. In a word, on the effi- 
cient and prudent discharge of the power of 
the keys, hang results more momentous than 
can lightly be appreciated. Mother you re- 
member the case of our unhappy friend?" 

"I do, my son and have heard him most 
feelingly deplore that decision of the session 
which shut him out from the privileges of 
the church — for no crime or inconsistency — 
but because he felt it his duty to commune 
occasionally with another denomination to 
which his wife belonged. The consequences 
of this rash act of the session were fatal to 
his Christian character, for he was not hap- 
py in that society which it had cost him so 
dear to unite with occasionally; and all 
return to his own church was precluded by 



116 



THE TWINS. 



the narrow policy of the elders, for the minis- 
ter did not coincide in their opinion." 

"Another duty incumbent on the elders, 
is to insure a full representation of their 
body in the church judicatories, and ecclesi- 
astical boards. As business men, their co- 
operation is often of immense utility to the 
pastors, and as co-ordinate with them in 
their powers of ruling, it is unkind in them 
to slip out of this responsibility on the plea 
of want of time ; as if the work of the minis- 
ter were not as engrossing and as pressing 
as theirs. It is time that the eldership 
arouse to a sense of their duty in this re- 
spect, and be no longer considered as mere 
adjuncts and echoes to their pastors." 

"You would not have the lay representa- 
tives engross all the debating, I hope, Her- 
bert?" 

"Far from it, Neville; but to judge from, 
present appearances, there is no fear of that 
extreme. On the contrary, they are more 
addicted, when they do attend church courts, 
to subside into mere voters, and that too, 
on the same side generally as the minister, 



THE TWINS. 



117 



leaving the argumentary part of the business 
entirely to the black-coats. And this, when 
from their position, experience, and general 
information, they might so materially assist 
in disposing of the questions which arise 
from time to time in ecclesiastical bodies. 
But Edith's anxious face warns me that 
she thinks it time for Nannie to go to bed; 
and Fannie and Ellen have been so quiet, 
that they deserve a game at romps as a re- 
ward." 

"I can play now with pleasure," said Fan- 
nie, "when Nannie is getting better, and 
you have all forgiven me for my badness." 

"It will be forgotten, too," answered her 
pleased father, "if you continue to be like 
your present self ; but I will carry the poor 
sick child up stairs, and then you may make 
as much racket as you choose. I believe," 
he continued in a lower tone to Edith, "that 
your way was the best with that girl, after 
all; but, depend upon it, every step-mother 
has not so much forbearance." 

"Every wife has not so good a husband, 
nor are her efforts appreciated like mine," 



118 



THE TWINS. 



was Edith's reply; "but let us cease compli- 
menting each other, to adore that gracious 
Power, which has not only preserved our 
child, but protected the rest from that ma- 
lignant fever.' ' 



CHAPTER VIL 

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE ELDERSHIP. 

" If any be blameless." 

The next evening came, and the family 
party were again collected as usual, Fannie 
taking her post by her sister as before, and 
Ellen as usual close to her beloved grand- 
mother. The newly commenced reforma- 
tion in the character of the elder twin might, 
to ordinary observers, appear too rapid to be 
lasting; but Mrs. Lindsay and Mabel en- 
couraged her parents by their conviction, 
that the change in her conduct was radical. 
"Do not consider, sister/' said the latter, 
"in what unfavourable circumstances the 
poor child was placed. From what I have 



THE TWINS. 



119 



heard of her aunt, there seems to have been 
no system pursued, but a course of injudi- 
cious indulgence, with occasional contradic- 
tion — equally misplaced — interspersed with 
that deception so frequently practised, as 
the shortest plan with children, but which 
Fannie was too acute not to find out. Pre- 
judiced against us all, she came here in an 
antagonistic spirit, but the terrible conse- 
quences of her violence to poor Nannie, and 
the conciliatory and maternal tone you have 
adopted, have evidently produced a complete 
revolution in her feelings ; and I doubt not 
that she will decline her aunt's offer, if it be 
left to her decision." 

Mabel here referred to a letter, received 
from Miss Lushington, which announced her 
intention of sending the nurse for Fannie, to 
accompany her in the summer jaunt she con- 
templated. Nannie was, she wrote, too 
weak she supposed, to be of the party, but 
might return to them when the excursion 
had been completed. This offer Mr. and 
Mrs. Neville communicated to their eldest 
daughter, who rejected it with some feeling. 



120 



THE TWINS. 



"Does aunt think," she exclaimed, "that I 
would leave you all for any pleasure party 
she can propose ? No, mother ; do not send 
me from you, but teach me to be good like 
you and aunt Mabel; and indeed, I never 
will be so naughty again as I have been." 

This appeal could not be rejected; and 
Mr. Neville informed his sister-in-law that 
her nieces themselves desired, as he himself 
and Mrs. Neville had long wished, that they 
should dwell under'the paternal roof. But 
to return from this long digression to the 
party who were awaiting Herbert's commu- 
nications ; — seeing them all settled in their 
places, he thus began : " It is evident, that if 
my views of the importance, authority, and 
duties of the ruling elder are correct, the 
qualifications for this office are of no trifling 
kind. The first I will mention, is active, 
heart-felt piety. This is so manifestly called 
for, in spiritual rulers, that it might seem 
unnecessary to insist upon it, did we not 
often see men elected to this office, who are 
more conspicuous for wealth, respectability 
of position, learning, or talents, than for 



THE T W I N S 



121 



devotedness to the cause of Christ. Wo to 
the pastor, or the people, who expect any of 
the above-mentioned advantages, to com- 
pensate for the want of this vital ingre- 
dient of official character ! It were bet- 
ter — in the words of an opposer of our 
form of government — ' that they dubbed, 
here a godly Webster, there a sanctified 
cobbler, ruling elders;' for the weaver and 
the shoemaker, if ' godly' and 'sanctified/ 
would be more useful in the church than 
a judge, member of Congress, general, or 
other dignitary, if deficient in this indis 
pensable requisite. But their piety ought 
to be of a childlike, experimental kind. Mere 
orthodoxy, however desirable, will not suffice 
for one who has to deal with the consciences 
of men, and dispense or withhold the privi- 
lege of church communion. Office-bearers 
are perhaps too liable to take their own 
piety for granted, from the very fact of 
their being such; forgetting that, as past 
attainments will not avail for present emer- 
gencies, so we must come day by day for 
the spiritual manna, even as the Israelites 
11 



122 



THE TWINS. 



in the wilderness sought, at the appointed 
time, for their heaven-provided sustenance." 

"I suppose," said Edith, "you mean to 
inculcate the importance of prayer." 

" That was indeeed my intention, sister ; 
as I know not a class of men to whom a 
spirit of prayer is more necessary than that 
we are speaking of. In general, they are 
actively engaged in secular pursuits, with 
every avenue to wealth and fame stretching 
wide before them; and therefore it is that 
they require constant counter influence, to 
maintain their Christian warfare with any 
hope of success. But piety alone is not 
enough to meet the requisitions of the el- 
der's high calling — -there must be knowledge 
also. This is the more important, because 
the functions of his duty, varied as they are, 
demand that he who would perform them be 
like a 6 scribe, which is instructed unto the 
kingdom of heaven.' To this knowledge, an 
intelligent acquaintance with the standards 
of our faith, materially conduces. How can 
any rule well, who is not familiar with those 
institutions that are the foundation of gov- 



THE TWINS. 



123 



eminent ? Or how can lie be an overseer, 
•who knows not the mind of his great em- 
ployer? 

" Doctrinal orthodoxy, however, does not 
take in the whole idea here intended. It is 
necessary to form part of that 'knowledge 
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,' in 
which Christians are exhorted to grow; but 
there is much else that cannot be dispensed 
with. A practical knowledge of the Bible is 
of immense value to the ruling elder. He 
should be ' mighty in the Scriptures,' to be 
able to address 4 a word in season to him 
that is weary,' to instruct the ignorant, to 
repel error, and to comfort the afflicted. 
Knowledge of human nature is of great use 
to the ruling elder; without this, he is un- 
fit to form a right judgment of the different 
individuals with whom he has to deal; and 
it is the more so, because ministers being 
often theoretical men, need the practical 
wisdom of their lay coadjutors. A knowledge 
of their own heart, in all its trials, tempta- 
tions, and besetments, is also very important, 



124 



THE TWINS.. 



to one who is to decide on the fitness for 
privilege, or the evidences of conversion/' 

"I fear there are few elders that will 
come up to your requisitions, Herbert." 

" Are they then unreasonable, or too high- 
ly drawn?" 

" I cannot say they are, but I repeat, that 
few can be found so well adapted to the 
work." 

" If it be so, perhaps the cause is, that the 
standard of an elder's qualifications has not 
been made high enough. Where little is ex- 
pected, there is generally little done; but if 
the churches and the elders themselves have 
taken low views of the office, the only way 
to remedy the evil is to fix the estimate at a 
more correct elevation. It is important, 
also, that he who ruleth should be sound in 
the faith ; this may seem to have been anti- 
cipated in the preceding requisite, under the 
idea of doctrinal knowledge ; but the matter 
is so essential to the guardians of the church, 
that even at the risk of being thought guilty 
of tautology, I will enlarge on it, as a sepa- 
rate qualification. Paul warns the elders of 



THE T W I X S 



125 



Ephesus of the danger of false doctrine. 
'Also of your own selves shall men arise, 
speaking perverse things, to draw away dis- 
ciples after them. Therefore watch, and 
remember that by the space of three years I 
ceased not to warn every one, night and day, 
with tears/ This watchfulness is still re- 
quired; but without that soundness in the 
faith which I recommend, how shall error, 
insidious as it is, be detected and exposed? 

" The ministry may be led away by a 
fondness for novelty, and a love of theologi- 
cal metaphysics, to forsake the good old 
paths : but while the elders are sound in the 
faith, there is still hope that their influence 
may control that which is adverse to the 
truth. 

But a sound eldership, the churches' pride. 
If once destroyed, can never be supplied. 

[Burns altered.} 

And never, if the guides are turned out of 
the way, can we expect the people to follow 
on to know the Lord. This feature of cha- 
racter is the more essential, because elders 
have, in Presbyteries and other ecclesiasti- 
11* 



126 



THE TWINS. 



cal bodies, to give their vote as to the exer- 
cises of students, the trial sermons of licen- 
tiates, the examination of ministers on enter- 
ing the Presbytery, &c, &c, all which re- 
quire an intimate acquaintance with our 
discriminating doctrines. 

"But neither piety nor knowledge will suf- 
fice to make an elder; no, not the two, com- 
bined with soundness in the faith. Consis- 
tency is a quality especially called for in an 
office like the one of which we are now talk- 
ing. This, you may remember, is that trait 
of character so much insisted on in Miss 
Hannah More's Coelebs in the choice of a 
wife; and it is a prominent ingredient in the 
piety of all thriving Christians. Consistency 
is that union of holy tempers and godly 
principles, which keeps the soul from going 
to any of those extremes that falsify the pro- 
fession it has made ; preventing our zeal 
from degenerating into bigotry, or our chari- 
ty from sliding into indifference to the truth. 
A consistent person does not by his actions 
at one time contradict his words at another; 



THE TWINS. 



127 



but is always the same, influenced by similar 
motives, and acting by a given rule." 
" You would have us then, Herbert — 

' Keep one consistent plan, from end to end. 5 95 

"I would, brother; especially those who 
aspire to the office we are treating of. But 
another requisite for the eldership, is that 
quality which Paul calls 6 aptness to teach.' 
This, as Mabel will remember, was, in my 
conversations with Edwin on the pastoral 
functions, defined to be, fit to teach; by 
having good knowledge of the things to 
be taught, a clear manner of expressing 
thought, and an earnest desire to instruct 
the ignorant. The importance of this gift 
to an instructor is self-apparent. A man 
may have great learning, who is not skilful 
in communicating information; while an- 
other, not much more advanced in learning 
than his pupils, may alternately instruct 
himself and teach them, with such good 
success as to advance them rapidly. With 
children, especially in religious teaching, 
there ought to be great pains taken to 
interest as well as inform. A peculiar talent 



128 



THE TWINS. 



is required to gain their attention and ac- 
quire their love; and well is he repaid who 
seeks to gain the respect and affection of 
this most interesting class of beings. Their 
Maker's image is not wholly obliterated by 
actual sin — their hearts are tender, for the 
indurating process of the world has hardly 
commenced; our Saviour took them in his 
arms, and blessed them; yea, he was him- 
self a little child." 

"This planet would be a dreary abode, 
without these little prattlers," said Mrs. 
Lindsay, kissing Ellen as she spoke ; " and 
I cannot bear to see them either ruined by 
false indulgence, or made the victims of 
tyranny and caprice." 

" The elder, however," resumed her son, 
"should be apt to teach others besides chil- 
dren. Classes for Biblical instruction might 
often be formed of adults, to great advan- 
tage ; for there is this peculiarity about our 
system, that without some familiarity with 
divine truth, the mind cannot relish or di- 
gest the spiritual food. Just as in the animal 
frame, there must be assimilation before 



THE TWINS. 



129 



there can be nutrition. Besides this, in ex- 
horting at prayer-meetings, or visiting the 
sick, and in many other ways, this gift — for 
I consider it such — is equalled only in value 
by the one I shall next advert to — the gift 
of prayer." 

" You own, then," said Mr. Neville, "that 
all do not possess this talent?" 

"Not to an equal degree, certainly; but 
few, even if characterized by ever so little 
learning or intellect, may not become accept- 
able in their petitions at a throne of grace. 
Here, 'practice makes perfect the habit of 
fervent, heart-felt prayer to our heavenly 
Father will, by realizing his presence, hinder 
all that embarrassment resulting from a fear 
of man, or the hidden pride of our own 
hearts. You remember the anecdote of the 
soldier, who had retired for prayer to some 
sequestered spot, and was taken up as a de- 
serter. Having alleged the reason for his 
going to his hiding-place, the commander 
desired him, if he was used to pray, to give 
him a specimen of his exercises. The sol- 
dier complied, and prayed so pertinently and 



130 



THE TWINS. 



feelingly, that his general at once acquiesced 
in the truth of his statement; remarking to 
the sneering comrades round, ' that a man 
who could use such freedom in his approach- 
es to his Maker, was not likely to flinch 
from fear of death or danger.' 

"Another requisite to this office I will 
mention, is the command of time. This, no 
doubt, is much more under our own control 
than we are willing to admit ; for we always 
find leisure to gratify a strong propensity, or 
compass a favourite design. But though 
method and diligence may do much to expe- 
dite matters, the eldership requires a greater 
degree of attention than can be taken from 
the scrapings and parings of our time. Let, 
then, none undertake it, who are not willing 
to devote to it as much of their thoughts 
and moments as its functions demand; re- 
membering, as they ought, that life is given 
to us, not merely for secular engrossments, 
but to ' show forth the praises of Him, who 
hath called us out of darkness into his mar- 
vellous light.' " 

" I own to you, Herbert, that I now feel 



THE TWINS, 



131 



self-condemned, form the flimsy excuses I 
have made to my own conscience, to excuse 
my non-performance of those religious ob- 
servances which have at all interfered with 
worldly business; and did I not confide so 
entirely in Edith's horror of treachery, I 
might almost suspect she had told you how 
often she has gone to our prayer-meetings 
unattended, because I thought I could not 
leave my counting-house." 

"Be assured, dear brother, I have had no 
hint of your clelinquincy on this score, but 
have spoken merely on general principles, 
though it seems you have made the applica- 
tion. If you would try the experiment, 
however, I doubt that you would find that 
praying time is not lost time ; and that you 
would return to your employment with a 
lighter heart, and more real enjoyment, than 
if you had not left them at the call of duty. 
In punctuality of attendance on religious 
meetings, our sex may take a lesson from 
the other. How often do we see women, 
weak and delicate as they are, bowed down 
by family cares, and disturbed at night by 



132 



THE TWINS. 



fractious infants, always in their places ; 
even if the hours thus spent must be made 
up from those devoted to rest, or at the ex- 
pense of labour and exertion in their pre- 
vious arrangements. 

" The last qualification I shall enumerate, 
is one insisted on by Paul — having 4 a good 
report of them that are without.' 

"Much as the world hates religion, it yet 
has sufficient discernment to respect its sin- 
cere and consistent votaries; and if an indi- 
vidual labours under general odium and 
dislike, we may be sure there is some reason 
for it. When, therefore, a devoted man 
commands the esteem of his fellow-citizens, 
he can exercise a much more beneficial in- 
fluence, than one who is viewed with sus- 
picion or distrust. Do not, however, so 
far mistake me, as to suppose I advocate 
that popularity-hunting spirit which may do 
for intriguing politicians, but which is the 
very antipodes of the open, manly tone of 
Christian candour. No ! the best way to 
ensure the good opinion of others, is to act 
with plainness, integrity, and kindness on 



THE TWINS. 



133 



all occasions, irrespective of what A, B, or 
C may think of us." 

"I have always thought it a bad sign, 
Herbert, of a man's true standing, when the 
poor think ill of him." 

44 It is indeed a truer criterion than the 
praises of those whom it is more our inter- 
est to flatter and conciliate. I have always 
admired the delicacy of a compliment, paid 
by one of this class, to the memory of a 
citizen, whose frame dwelling stood uncon- 
sumed in the midst of the ruins of an exten- 
sive conflagration. Some person heard an- 
other remark to the man I have alluded to, 
that it was wonderful this building should 
have been spared, when newer edifices of 
brick had been destroyed. 'Not at all,' re- 
plied he, ' for the poor man's friend lived 
there. ' But my watchful wife is getting 
fidgetty, I see, and doubtless has many 
Martha-like cares to call for her attention ; 
so I will conclude this branch of my subject 
in the words of the royal preacher, 'The 
fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and 
he that winneth souls is wise.' " 
12 



134 



THE TWINS. 



"Now husband," said Mabel, "you know 
better than that comes to. It is about little 
Nannie I am anxious. My day's work is 
done before this time I hope, but she has to 
take her tonic, and go to bed," 

" Well then, I will carry her up stairs, to 
make up for my mistake." 

"You may, but you must come down 
again," said his mother, "to hear Fannie 
read a chapter in the Testament to her 
father." 

"That I will, with great pleasure; and 
rejoice that she has benefitted so much by 
your instructions, mother." 

The chapter was read, and Mr. Neville, 
kissing his daughter, said, "If my little girl 
only goes on as she has commenced, she will 
make progress in all it is desirable for her 
to learn." 

"And I am so much happier than ever I 
was before, father; thank you a thousand 
times for the step-mother you have given 
us." 



THE TWINS. 



135 



CHAPTER VIII. 

ELECTION AND ORDINATION OF ELDERS. 

" By the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery." 

As the time approached for the separation 
of the happy party at Violet Vale, Edith 
and her husband became still more desirous 
to investigate the subject which had so much 
interested them; and no occupation, how- 
ever pleasant, was allowed to interfere with 
the conversations of the evening. The chil- 
dren even, though of course much of what 
was said could not be intelligible to them, 
had acquired the habit of quiet attention, 
and a relish for the company of the older 
part of the family, that seemed to indemni- 
fy them for the silence to be observed. At 
an early hour, therefore, the party assem- 
bled in the parlour, as a copious shower had 
driven them in from the piazza. 

"I hope, Herbert," said Mr. Neville, "to 
hear your opinion about the propriety of 



136 



THE TWINS. 



imposition of hands, in the ordination of 
ruling elders." 

"My subject for to-night includes that 
very point, brother; but the election of 
these officers must first be attended to." 

" There is no mention made of the elec- 
tion of elders by the people, in the New Tes- 
toment, brother," said Edith. 

"There is not, I allow; though as the 
deacons were chosen by the people, or 
c looked out' — that is, selected accurately and 
diligently, in order to choose the best — we 
may, I think, conclude, that the elders were 
appointed by the people in like manner. 
More especially, as Moses, when recounting 
to the Israelites the Lord's dealings to them 
in the wilderness, speaks in reference to 
those officers who were to assist him in judg- 
ment, as follows : ' Take you wise men, and 
understanding, and known among your tribes, 
and I will make them rulers over you.' In 
the Hebrew it reads, ' Give ye,' that is, 
6 present unto me, such persons as you think 
fit to be rulers.' Thus they chose them, and 
he approved them. That this method was 



pursued in the erection of Christian churches 
by the apostles, seems beyond a doubt, if we 
reflect on the term used. (Acts xiv. 23,) 
translated ordained, (j&«£o*ovlto,) which liter- 
ally signifies, to elect or choose to office by 
lifting up of hands ; and which in a parallel 
passage is rendered chosen. (2 Cor. viii. 9.) 
That this was the primitive manner of pro- 
ceeding, the following references testify. 

" Peter Martyr, a learned Italian reform- 
er, in his commentary on 1 Cor. xii. 28, 
says, ' There were joined with him (i. e. the 
pastor) in the ancient Church, certain elders, 
chosen from among the people, well-informed, 
and skilled in spiritual things, who formed a 
kind of parochial senate.' Dean Xowell 
also, in his Catechism, drawn up in 1562, 
expressly mentions elders being chosen, that 
is, ecclesiastical rulers, who conducted and 
maintained the discipline of the Church, in 
concurrence with the pastor. Ursinus, a 
learned German divine, contemporary with 
Luther and Melancthon, speaks as follows — 
' Elders are ministers elected by the voice of 
the church, to assist in conducting discipline, 
12* 



138 



THE TW INS. 



and to order a variety of necessary matters 
in the church.' Examples of the same lan- 
guage might be repeated, but enough has 
been said to show the opinion of the learn- 
ed." 

" The Waldenses and Bohemians seem to 
have transmitted this office to the Reformed 
Churches, Herbert." 

" They have. In the Plan of Government 
and Discipline of the latter Church, we hear 
of elders, who 'are honest, grave men, cho- 
sen out of the whole congregation, that they 
may act as guardians of all the rest. But 
the next thing to be considered is, Who are 
the proper electors of ruling elders?" 

"I should say, that none but members of 
the church can have a voice on the subject ;" 
said Mr. Neville. 

"I fully agree with you, brother;" re- 
joined Herbert, "it cannot be, that they 
who do not belong to the church, can con- 
trol the choice of those rulers who are to 
represent the spiritual interests of the con- 
gregation, even while they do not consider 
themselves amenable to ecclesiastical juris- 



THE TWINS. 139 

diction. Some, however, extend the privi- 
lege to baptized persons who are not in full 
communion; probably on the ground that 
ultimately it is expected they will become 
more closely connected with the church." 

44 It is not at all, on similar grounds, that 
pewholders are allowed to vote for the pastor 
I think," said Edith, " whether they belong 
to the church or not." 

" You are quite right there, sister. In 
the choice of a pastor, all who contribute to 
his support are entitled to a voice in the 
selection; and the fact that the call must 
pass through the hands of Presbytery, is a 
security for the propriety of the proceeding. 
Besides, all who attend preaching, have an 
interest in the matter, and ought to be con- 
sulted; but in the affair of government, 
which is entirely of a spiritual kind, those 
only who are professors of religion can be 
expected to possess sufficient discrimination, 
to be able to make a suitable nomination." 

" Is it usual for the people to vote at large, 
or on a list of more than the number re- 
quired, furnished them by the session?" 



140 



THE TWINS. 



" The latter plan is the one generally 
adopted, Neville, and has this advantage, 
that it meets the wishes of the existing 
elders and the pastor, while it ensures the 
free suffrages of the congregation : our Form 
of Government does not prescribe any defi- 
nite process, but allows every church to 
proceed in the manner most approved and in 
use among them, provided that * the persons 
elected be male members in full communion 
in the church in which they are to exercise 
their office.' We will now proceed to the 
question of ordination. It is, I believe, con- 
ceded by all, that the elders of the Jewish 
Synagogue were always ordained by the 
imposition of hands ; and the fact, that this 
usage is recorded as observed in the setting 
apart of the deacons — confessedly an inferi- 
or grade of church-officers — seems to settle 
the question, as regards those elders who 
were to receive double honour for ruling 
well. It therefore appears to me clearly 
desirable, that the class we are speaking of 
should be introduced into the eldership by 
the laying on of the hands of the parochial 



THE TWINS. 



141 



Presbytery; and that any other method is 
not only unscriptural, but faulty and in bad 
taste. For though opposed to empty cere- 
monies and humanly derived forms, we must 
not forget that there is an extreme diametri- 
cally opposite — nay, one to which our rejec- 
tion of external modes may expose us — that 
of neglecting the order of God's house, and 
passing too lightly over the designation to 
an office so important to best interests of 
both pastor and people." 

"What number of elders do you think 
then ought to be in a congregation, Her- 
bert?" 

" There is little fear of a surplus, Neville, 
while active male members are so scarce a 
commodity; and yet mere names do not al- 
ways constitute strength. Four or five effi- 
cient men will do more to uphold a pastor's 
hands, and advance the Lord's work, than a 
whole host of lazy go-easy Christians." 

"In the Dutch Reformed Church the el- 
ders are elected annually, are they not, 
Herbert?" 

" There is a fresh election every year, 



142 



THE TWINS. 



though the former session are often re- 
elected, and are always liable to be called 
upon, on emergency for their counsel; but 
in our Church a similar plan has never been 
adopted, nor does it seem desirable, as it 
assuredly is not scriptural. 6 Once an elder, 
always an elder,' is an axiom in our Church, 
beyond dispute. Reasons of a private na- 
ture may render it advisable that the exer- 
cise of the office may be laid aside, such as 
removal to. a church where the individual is 
neither well known nor influential, ill health, 
old age, or the fact of his ceasing to be 
acceptable to a majority of the church. But 
this withdrawment from service differs widely 
from that deposition which is only the re- 
result of regular constitutional process for 
some flagrant offence, or heinous error." 

"How is it usual to proceed against an 
elder, in such a case, Herbert?" 

"When ruling elders become chargeable 
with heresy, or immorality, they are ar- 
raigned and tried by the church session. 
Process against them is to be conducted ac- 
cording to the same general rules which 



THE TWINS. 



143 



regulate the trials of private members: only 
that as their office makes their position more 
important than others, so there ought to be 
peculiar caution, tenderness, and care, in 
receiving evidence against them. Thus Paul 
tells Timothy, 'Against an elder receive not 
an accusation, but before two or three wit- 
nesses/ If, for any special reason, the 
parochial church court seems unfitted to give 
a just decision, the whole matter should at 
once be put in the hand of the Presbytery, 
the natural resort, in all cases, in which the 
church session is unable to perform its accus- 
tomed work." 

"I suppose the elder, if he feels himself 
aggrieved, can take up his cause to the Sy- 
nod?" 

" Certainly ; and from thence, the next 
step is the General Assembly, the last court 
to which appeals may be made. But happi- 
ly, such derelictions of duty seldom occur, 
and are even more rare than the depar- 
tures of the preaching elders from the paths 
of holiness." 

" How do yon account for that, Herbert?" 



144 



THE TWINS. 



"Simply, because from the nature of 
things, pastors are exposed to temptations 
■which their compeers in government know 
nothing about; and because, if they forget 
•where their strength lies, their very eleva- 
tion makes their fall the greater. But, 
blessed be God ! the number of these 6 wan- 
dering stars' is small indeed; and, in all 
modesty be it spoken, the Presbyterian 
Church in this country may challenge a 
comparison with any other, as to the purity, 
laboriousness, and integrity of her minis- 
ters." 

"I believe you are right, Herbert; but 
apropos to laboriousness, do tell me how 
Henry Harrison is coming on, in his prepa- 
rations for the Theological Seminary? Does 
he still persist in working his own way un- 
aided?" 

"He does; at least as far as pecuniary 
means are concerned, and will, I doubt not, 
make an able minister of the New Testa- 
ment. He visits us very frequently, partly 
because he loves our counsels, and partly 



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145 



from another motive. Mabel, how much 
may we tell of Henry's love affairs?" 

" They need not be kept secret from the 
present company, husband," said Mabel. 
" You must know," she continued, turning to 
her sister, "that Henry while here, was very 
active in our Sabbath-school, and soon be- 
came acquainted with the other teachers who 
attended the prayer-meetings, &c. Among 
these, was a girl named Rose Martin, who 
had long been a favourite of dear mother 
here ; and who had to make her way as best 
she might in an unfriendly world. 4 Like 
finds out like,' they say, and spite of her re- 
serve and his diffidence, they soon understood 
one another; it is settled that they are to be 
married, as soon as he is in a state to main- 
tain a wife; and, in the meanwhile, she 
teaches in the common school all dav, and 
studies hard at night, that he may not, as 
she says, blush at his wife's ignorance." 

"Well," returned Edith, "I am delighted 
that my old friend has chosen so judiciously, 
You must take me to see your protege; and 
remember, that I undertake to furnish the 
13 



146 



i 

THE TWINS. 



bride's wardrobe, whenever it is likely to be 
needed." 

" Thank you, sister, that will indeed de- 
light her heart, for she has a great fear that 
Henry's grand friends, who have been so 
kind to him, should not think her worthy 
his affections." 

"When will he have finished his stu- 
dies?" asked Mr. Neville. 

"Very shortly, I believe," said Mrs. Lind- 
say; "and a finer specimen of American 
independence, tempered by Christian hu- 
mility, I have seldom seen. Rose, however, 
with all her modesty, is deserving of his love, 
and if their trials in early life have been the 
means of preparing them for usefulness in 
God's service, we may surely hope that 
his blessing will attend their union. But it 
is time to attend to our little children, as 
their hour for retiring has come." 

"Let me help to put them to bed, grand- 
ma," said Fannie; "mother says she can 
trust me with little Herbert, and he loves 
me dearly." 

"I will take Harcourt," said Nannie, "if 



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147 



aunt Mabel will let me." Permission being 
accorded, the procession set foward, while 
Mr. Neville, looking after them with fond 
delight, remarked, "Well, if every step-mo- 
ther had the patience and sweetness of 
Edith, I do think they would win the hearts 
of even the sturdiest rebel in the land. For 
never, surely, was there a greater transfor- 
mation than is apparent in my once way- 
ward and unmanageable Fannie!" 

" You have, indeed, great reason to rejoice, 
Neville, in the forbearance and judgment 
which your wife has exhibited; but do not 
forget that your responsibility is not thereby 
diminished, nay, you ought to feel the more 
desire to aid her, in the arduous task which 
devolves upon you both." 

"I will endeavour to do so, Herbert; and 
if after this memorable visit, I find that the 
world, or business, or money-making, engross 
my thoughts, I will come back to the room 
where I watched at Nannie's sick-bed, and 
in this peaceful spot, take a fresh lesson of 
zeal and devotedness from my young instruc- 
ter." 



148 



THE TWINS. 



"I rejoice, at your determination. The 
position of a second wife, as regards the 
children of the first, is always a trying one ; 
and it is pusillanimous in a husband, to leave 
her to bear all the brunt of public opinion, 
unassisted. Besides, justice to both parties, 
requires of you, that you are on your guard 
against either the extreme of indulgence and 
injudicious expenditure on the one hand, or 
neglect and harshness on the other, on the 
part of the mother; just as you are to secure 
her right to the obedience and affection of 
your children. In your case, however, the 
danger of these evils is small. I predict 
that Fannie's activity of mind will exert the 
happiest effects on Nannie's amiable disposi- 
tion; and that both, under Edith's guidance, 
will become very interesting in their charac- 
ters and habits." 



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149 



CHAPTER IX. 

ENCOURAGEMENTS OF ELDERS. 
" He that waiteth on his master shall he honoured." 

The next morning the two sisters paid their 
contemplated visit to Rose's school, when 
Edith was delighted with the order of the 
children, the neat and pleasing appearance 
of the teacher, and the gratification ex- 
pressed at their coming. Mr. Neville had 
authorized her to hint, that he should do 
something for the increase of Henry's library, 
as his share of the business; and this seemed 
to be as joyful news to the young teacher, as 
her own bridal attire. Altogether the walk 
was a very pleasant one, and furnished agree- 
able converse for the day; but as evening 
came on, the old subject was resumed by 
Mr. Neville, who said, 64 Well Herbert, you 
have laid out work enough to do for the elder, 
and fixed the standard of qualification high 
13* 



150 



THE TWINS. 



enough, in all conscience; cannot you give 
them some encouragement in their labours ?" 

a The very thing I had allotted for this 
evening's conversation. Are you all ready V 

"We are all attention,'' was the reply, 
and the pastor thus began. "The first en- 
couragement I shall mention, is, that the 
Scriptures of truth pronounce the class we 
are now speaking of, as worthy "of double 
honour." Our Saviour reproaches the Jews 
for receiving honour one of another, and 
seeking not the honour that cometh from 
God only: and we know, that it is the pre- 
vailing tendency of the unrenewed heart, to 
treasure up earthly distinctions, even if they 
entail 6 shame and everlasting contempt' on 
their possessor in the world of retribution. 
But this double honour is of a different 
character, even like that which the man of 
God spoke of to poor misjudging Eli; say- 
ing, 'Them that honour me, I will honour,' 
and they that despise me shall be lightly 
esteemed.' But we will inquire more particu- 
larly into some of those things which are 
included in the term employed. First, the 



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151 



privilege of working for God. In the several 
functions of the elder's office, as we have ex- 
amined them, they all may be compre- 
hended in the idea of labouring in the vine- 
yard of the Lord; and what dignity can be 
compared to this? Do not the brightest 
seraphs around his throne burn with the 
ardour of their love and obedience; and 
shall not worms of the dust delight to do 
his will, promote his glory, and serve him in 
his church? How often do private Chris- 
tians lament, that they cannot, like the min- 
istry, devote their whole life to God. Now, 
the eldership gives them an opportunity of 
subserving his cause; even though their 
early training or after engagements, may 
prevent them from becoming pastors. And 
with humility be it spoken, the preacher can 
ill sustain his high position, without the aid 
and sympathy of his brethren of the session; 
so that the pressing call for more elders, is 
just as urgent as that for more ministers, 
for these 'two, are better than one,' because 
they have a good reward of their labour." 
"I should think, that clergymen in self- 



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defence, would take strong ground in be- 
half of the eldership," said Edith. 

"They would, sister, if they understood 
the comfort of these props and supporters 
of the sacred office ; and this is just the 
encouragement I was going to mention, as 
belonging to ruling elders ; namely, that they 
are the most efficient aids to a pastor, in the 
performance of his duties. And this is no 
trifling privilege, when we consider the im- 
portance of the pastoral office — the ambas- 
sadors of Christ. If a representative of an 
earthly potentate is to be treated with re- 
spect, because of his sovereign's dignity and 
power, with what delight should we minis- 
ter to the wants, and promote the comfort 
of those, who 'beseech us in Christ's stead, 
to be reconciled to God?' None but a pas- 
tor can tell the delightful feeling, produced 
by the consciousness of possessing coadjutors 
so acceptable, so powerful, and so useful as 
an active set of elders : and surely the re- 
flex action on their minds must be pleasing; 
for as we are told, 6 he that watereth shall 
be watered also himself.' But the pastors 



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153 



are only one class benefited by the elder- 
ship; it should be an encouragement to 
them, to know that they have a right, as 
Paul said to them of Ephesus, 6 to take heed 
to all the flock over the which the Hoty 
Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the 
church of God which he hath purchased with 
his own blood.' The pastor needs helpers 
in the guidance of the sheep, to keep them 
from straying into danger, and rescue them 
when fallen from a precipice." 

"Papa," interposed Ellen, "I have a 
picture of a poor little sheep that fell down 
a great way among the rocks, and a man is 
going after it, with a rope tied round his 
body, to keep him from breaking his neck ; 
and mamma said, it was like Jesus Christ, 
the Good Shepherd." 

"Your mother was quite right, my little 
daughter," said her father, stroking her cur- 
ly head encouragingly; for the child seemed 
to feel that her interruption was ill-timed, 
and Nannie's involuntary smile, and Fan- 
nie's reproving frown ? did not tend to allay 
her discomposure. 



154 



THE TWINS. 



"To this flock," continued Herbert, " it 
is the Father's good pleasure to give the 
kingdom — for it, the good Shepherd laid 
down his life- — 6 and he will give them eter- 
nal life, and they shall never perish, neither 
shall any man pluck them out of his hand/ 
Think then, if the Saviour did so much for 
his sheep, whether elders should not take 
encouragement from the thought, that they 
are instrumental in leading this flock, in the 
green pastures, and by the still waters; and 
this they do, wether by visiting the sick, in- 
structing the ignorant, or relieving the dis- 
tressed ; whether by opening the doors of 
church membership, or by dispensing the el- 
ements of our Eucharistic feast. The bless- 
ings conferred by the watchful vigilance of 
these officers, over the purity of the church, 
it is not easy to estimate aright. 'They 
watch for your souls as they that must give 
an account/ and the great day of retribu- 
tion only, will reveal the good effects of ses- 
sional faithfulness and affection. 

"But elders should be encouraged by the 
fact, that not only pastor and people have 



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155 



reason to rise up and call them blessed ; the 
lambs of the flock are in a great measure 
committed to their instructions. The bene- 
fits accruing from catechetical and Sabbath 
school instruction, outweigh our estimation." 

"Think you, that elders in general, per- 
form all the duty incumbent on them as re- 
gards the children of the church, Herbert?" 

"I fear Neville, that both elders and 
pastors, have been sadly negligent in this 
respect; for were it not the case, we could 
with difficulty account for the fact, that so 
many of the children of Presbyterians are 
to be found in the Methodist, Episcopalian, 
and even Romish Churches. The mere 
transmission of membership from father to 
son, I deprecate, as an evil that would fill 
our churches with dead professors ; but were 
the obligation of Christian birth-right more 
clearly enforced by church officers, on both 
parents and children, we might hope to see 
fewer interruptions in the lineal descent of 
piety; knowing as we do, 'that the Lord 
our God, he is God, the faithful God, which 
keepeth covenant and mercy with those that 



156 



THE TWINS. 



love him, and keep his commandments, to a 
thousand generations/ It is worthy of no- 
tice, that the first proof required of the 
repentant Peter that he loved his Master, 
was obedience to the injunction, "Feed my 
lambs" — and the Saviour's own tenderness 
to this most interesting portion of the Crea- 
tor's work, is showed, not only by his taking 
them in his arms, blessing them, and de- 
claring that ' of such was the kingdom of 
Heaven,' but was foretold in the predictions 
of his coming, when it was said, " He shall 
feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall 
gather the lambs with his arm, and carry 
them in his bosom." 

"It is wonderful to me," observed Mrs. 
Lindsay," that so little attention is paid to 
the command of the Saviour just quoted. 
Childhood and youth are the seed time of 
life; if the seed of the truth is not then 
deposited, how can it find room to germinate 
and grow, amid the allurements and turmoil 
of later years?" 

"With children," continued Herbert, "we 
cannot too often be reminded of the import- 



THE TWINS, 157 

ance of presenting religion in her own love- 
ly aspect. I do not mean that we are to 
fritter down the truth it contains, to mere 
story-books and amusement; but our in- 
structions should be full of love, patience, 
and forbearance; and our own tempers 
should manifest fruits of that benign influ- 
ence of which we tell them. Taught in this 
way, the Catechism is acquired in a very 
different spirit from that of the iron rule of 
former days; while even that mistake was, 
I own, less to be deplored than the present 
mode of omitting all distinctive teaching 
whatever. But a further encouragement 
to the eldership is, that as they have con- 
fessed Christ before men, so will the Son 
of Man confess them before the angels of 
God." 

" You do not mean, brother, to restrict the 
benefits of this gracious promise to elders 
only," said Edith. 

"By no means; pastors and private 
Christians share it with them, but in one 
sense, it may be said to belong especially to 
them. For as their good confession is more 
14 



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THE TWINS. 



direct and open than that of church mem- 
bers at large, so on the other hand, it may 
count more — at least in the estimation of 
the world — than that of the clergy. There is 
an idea prevailing, that what preachers say 
or do, is in behalf of their profession, 
and because they derive their support from 
it; and therefore, when a man of influence 
and respectability comes out as a witness- 
bearer for his Lord, such an one is at least 
free from the imputations cast on a pastor. 
And this encouragement is needed to cheer 
the elder in the ungracious task of discipline 
and government, the wearing exercises of the 
Sabbath-school, and the pressure of ecclesi- 
astical duty, amid his secular engagements. 
Let us not grudge it to him then, but for a 
moment let our minds go forward to that 
august assembly, when Christ c shall come 
in his glory, and in his Father's, and of the 
holy angels.' That day will bring to light 
many a result of unostentatious effort here, 
that shall call forth new manifestations of 
wonder, love, and praise, to Him who owns 
the service truly rendered to his Church." 



THE TWINS. 



159 



"Oh, husband!" said Edith/' I am so 
glad you have consented to be an elder." 

"But there is another encouragement 
to the ruler in God's house," continued 
Herbert, "and that is, that his offerings, 
whether of time or money, are 6 a sacrifice ac- 
ceptable and well pleasing to God.' By this 
means he makes 'friends of the mammon of 
unrighteousness' and diverts his wealth from 
being the means of alienation from God, to 
a channel of safety and spiritual prosperity. 
In no former period was there the same 
need of religious effort; and never before, 
was the same successful result so confidently 
to be expected. In the days of the taber- 
nacle, when the Jewish nation were called 
on for their contributions for its adornment, 
we are told, that the people brought ' more 
than enough, for the service of the work 
which the Lord commanded to make.' 
Would there were more of this feeling in 
the present day ; and that the elders, as 
a body, and according to their means, might 
appreciate the privilege of being 'able to 
offer so willingly after this sort.' Nor is 



160 



THE TWINS. 



my theory entirely Utopian. One elder at 
least is known in all the churches ; not less 
by his humility and unpretendingness, than 
by the liberality with which he imparts 
his princely revenue to every thing which 
bears the impress of his Saviour's name. 
May there be many with his spirit, even if 
they possess not similar pecuniary resources ! 
And to those who are the poor of this world, 
rich in faith only, there is this consola- 
tion, that if they cannot vie with their 
wealthy brethren in the amount or extent 
of their contributions, the time and labour 
bestowed in the good cause— often taken 
from their hours of rest, or made up by 
extra exertions in their secular calling — is 
just as precious to the Lord of the harvest, 
as if the silver and the gold were at their 
disposal also. Here the ' godly webster,' 
or the 'sanctified cobbler,' stand on equal 
grounds with the millionaire ; nor could the 
gold of Croesus, without piety, equal in utili- 
ty the self-denying exertions of the mechanic 
or the farmer, when prompted by that feel- 
ing which bids us 6 whether we live, we live 



THE TWINS. 



161 



unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die 
unto the Lord; whether we live, therefore, 
or die, we are the Lord's.' 

"But there is yet another item in my list 
of encouragements, and that is, that the 
elder who is faithful in the discharge of offi- 
cial duty, thereby secures the respect and 
esteem of the church to which he belongs. 
This feeling of love 6 from the saints that 
are in the earth, and the excellent, in whom/ 
as David has it, 6 is ail my delight,' is by no 
means to be despised or undervalued. The 
great ones of the world cannot obtain it; 
gold cannot purchase it; for it must be the 
spontaneous offering of the heart, and is en- 
tirely independent of adventitious circum- 
stances. The more faithful an elder is in 
the performance of official trust, and the 
further removed from a man-fearing or time- 
serving spirit, the more strongly will the 
estimation of his worth rise in the minds of 
others. Far removed from this is the 
ephemeral popularity which lasts but for a 
day, whether induced by military glory, 
political influence, or the boon companion- 
14* 



162 



THE TWINS. 



ship of the bottle; and which is indeed 'as 
the crackling of thorns under a pot;' the 
sentiment I am describing is of a more per- 
manent nature, and is unalloyed by com- 
punction or remorse; it is grounded on a 
conviction of integrity, and is that • good 
name' which 6 is rather to be chosen than 
great riches,' and that 6 loving favour' that 
is to be preferred to 4 silver and gold.' " 

Herbert paused, and Neville thanked him 
for the cheering considerations he had pre- 
sented in so animating an aspect " But," 
added he, "as I am not yet among the 
eldership, I cannot derive that benefit from 
them which justly appertains to those who 
have already 'borne the burden and heat of 
the day.' " 

"There you are quite mistaken, Neville. 
Elders will do well to ponder and review 
these encouragements in every stage of their 
progress, but they are more especially in- 
tended to allay the fears and sustain the 
courage of those who are just elected to the 
office, and may not yet have accepted the 
appointment. It is a crying evil, that so 



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163 



many decline this sacred trust, who by self- 
denial and exertion might do so much good 
as members of session. Under a show of 
humility, while perhaps pride or indolence is 
the real motive, persons refuse to assume 
the yoke of service; but let them once make 
trial of His requirements, and they will find 
that 'his commandments are not grievous.' 
Let then a glance at the privileges I have 
enumerated, give you fresh courage for your 
arduous work, and as you are about to enrol 
yourself among the standard-bearers in our 
Zion, be strong and quit yourself like a man. 
As a general rule, it is a dangerous thing to 
hold back from commanded duty, be the 
province what it may. To such, the young 
ruler whom our Saviour loved, should be a 
warning not to be neglected, that the call 
6 Come, take up thy cross and follow me,' 
was disregarded; and without that subjec- 
tion to Christ which he lacked, vain would 
be his wealth, amiability, or observance of 
the second table of the law. But my little 
children have been quiet here so long, that 
I am sure a good run will be of service to 



164 



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them. Let us see, Nannie, if we cannot 
beat the rest of them in a race to that big 
tree." The challenge was accepted, and 
soon the little garden resounded with the 
quick step and merry laugh of childhood — 
happy period, too soon to give place to the 
cares and anxieties of after years. Would 
that it might, instead of being the introduc- 
tion to folly and worldliness, be consecrated 
to His service who has said, a they that seek 
me early shall find me!" 



CHAPTER X. 

THE CLAIMS OF THE ELDERSHIP ON CHURCH 
MEMBERS. 

" And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among 
you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you ; and to 
esteem them very highly in love, for their work's sake." 

"I feel sorry to think that this will be 
the last evening of our pleasant conversa- 
tions on the eldership, Herbert,'' said Mr. 
Neville, as the inmates of that happy house- 



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165 



hold sought the usual gathering-place; "but 
I think it is hardly fair to put so much on 
the elders, and yet say nothing of the obli- 
gations of the people." 

" There are few relations in life, in which 
the duties are not reciprocal, Neville, and 
this certainly is not an exception to the 
rule. The connection between the session 
and the congregation over which they are 
to rule is cemented by the strongest tie. 
The scriptural enforcement of the duty, the 
voluntary assumption of church member- 
ship, the sacred emblems which hallow their 
association with each other, and the fact, 
that the one is chosen by the other to be 
' over them in the Lord,' to represent their 
interests in the ecclesiastical courts, and to 
co-operate with the pastor in taking care of 
the church of God;' these considerations 
should call forth the affectionate respect of 
every renewed heart to those who watch for 
their souls. But I will enter a little more 
into particulars, to convince you that I do 
not think all the duty lies on one side. 
First, then, the eldership has a right to 



166 



THE TWINS. 



claim obedience from the people. 6 Obey 
them that have the rule over you/ is an 
apostolic direction, to which he adds, i sub- 
mit yourselves/ " 

"Dear Herbert,' ' said Mabel, "I fear 
that will not be allowed, when even in your 
Presbytery there is so much declamation 
about church domination and sectarian ex- 
clusiveness, that it is thought a hardship to 
have inquiries made as to the way in which 
our own Boards are supported." 

" Such may be the slang used in our judi- 
catories, wife; but the churches are better 
taught than to follow these examples. We 
have little to fear from church domination, 
where, as in our beloved Zion, there are nei- 
ther the allurements of wealth and patron- 
age to be gained, nor the deterring influence 
of penal statutes to be dreaded. That the 
claim I advance for the session in connection 
with its moderator, is scriptural, few Presby- 
terians will deny, when the very tenor is 
equivalent to authority, and when the im- 
portance of order in religious matters must 
be felt to be as great as in merely political 



THE TWINS. 



167 



affairs. In general, it shows but an un- 
christian spirit, to quarrel with one's church; 
and though we Protestants do not assert our 
infallibility, yet, as a general thing, a ses- 
sion are more likely to be right than an 
individual, especially when his judgment is 
in danger of being warped by self-estima- 
tion and prejudice. But obedience and sub- 
mission do not cover the whole ground in 
question; the faithful elder has a right to 
expect that those among whom he labours 
will 1 esteem him very highly in love, for his 
work's sake.' Who can refuse this tribute 
to the usefulness of devoted men, who spend 
so much of their time in the service of the 
Lord? and is it not rather a spontaneous 
feeling of the heart, than an extorted and 
reluctant acknowledgment of merit?" 

u Among many other instances that might 
be mentioned/' observed Mrs. Lindsay, "of 
the respect which a zealous discharge of offi- 
cial duty calls forth, two occur to my mind. 
One is that of an elder, who was, many 
years ago, occupied in teaching young ladies 
in Philadelphia ; and his labours among his 



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pupils were so signally blessed, that a large 
proportion of them became pious while under 
his tuition. He is long since gone to his 
rest. The other elder still survives to bless 
the little church where his lot is cast ; to pour 
forth those prayers which are so full of unc- 
tion and of faith ; and to show, in his old age, 
how gracefully the loss of property can be 
sustained, when it seems good to our hea- 
venly Father to strip his people of what they 
deemed their own." 

"Thank you, dear mother, for your illus- 
trations of my assertion. Hoping, then, 
that the churches will not refuse the meed 
of affection to those who are over them in 
the Lord, I will proceed to state some of 
those symptoms of this love, which, being 
tangible and apparent, furnish the strongest 
proofs of its reality. And the first proof of 
love I would recommend, is a spirit of co- 
operation in every good work. This would 
prompt to liberality in the consecration of 
substance, to punctuality in attending the 
week-day meetings, to regularity in sending 
their children to Sabbath-schools and Bible- 



THE TWINS. 169 

classes, and to assist with their own services, 
if needed, in these departments. This is a 
day of combinations for every purpose, po- 
litical, literary, or social; when will it be, 
that this principle will unite more closely 
our brethren and sisters in Christ to him, 
and to each other? 'Behold how these 
Christians love one another!' was the excla- 
mation of Pagan enemies. Would that it 
might be more conspicuous among Presbyte- 
rians in our favoured era ! Another proof 
of that love which elders might hope to re- 
ceive from those who remember them that 
have the rule over them, is a spirit of charity 
and forbearance in judging of their conduct. 
A detracting, backbiting mode of speaking 
of church officers is assuredly a poor indica- 
tion of that charity that thinketh no evil : 
nor can there be a tendency more adverse 
to the influence of the spirit of holiness and 
peace. In the trying exercise of their offi- 
cial functions, it is of the greatest import- 
ance that they be sustained by the confidence 
and good opinion of the people ; and even 
where faults exist, these should not be wan- 
15 



170 



THE TWINS. 



tonly or needlessly exposed to the censures 
of an invidious world. But a third proof of 
love is manifested by a prayerful spirit. If 
Paul entreated an interest in the supplica- 
tions of the Thessalonian converts, elders 
have still more occasion to make a similar 
request. How would it cheer them in their 
arduous charge, to know and believe that 
their names were presented at the mercy- 
seat by those whom they were called on to 
feed and guide in the ways of holiness. But 
a fourth mode of showing a people's high 
estimation of their ruling elders, is in assist- 
ing to maintain, or at least relieving them, 
if indigent." 

"That is indeed giving them double hon- 
our, in a literal sense, Herbert." 

u I am aware that this is an explanation 
of the text, given by those, who think it the 
best means of subverting its application to 
elders who rule only. But there is little 
fear, while the preaching elder is so badly 
paid, that the ruling ones would succeed, 
even if they laid claim to a temporal remu- 
neration; nor would such a state of things 



THE TWINS. 



171 



be at all desirable. My plea is only made 
in behalf of those who have been deprived 
of the means of sustenance, when old age or 
weakness has come upon them. Who, in 
this pitiable situation, does not merit the 
kindly sympathy of the more able friends of 
the Redeemer? And what can we think of 
the religion of those who refuse to minister 
to the necessities of their spiritual guides? 
Were I called upon to do, as Peter did in his 
day, 'to the strangers scattered throughout 
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bi- 
thynia,' when he said, 'Wherefore I will not 
be negligent to put you always in remem- 
brance of these things, though ye know 
them, and are established in the present 
truth,' I should consider no truth so season- 
able or so desirable to be inculcated, on that 
large portion of Protestant Christendom that 
own the Presbyterian polity, as a reverence 
for, and an acquiescence in, the claims of 
the eldership on the obedience, reverence, 
and love of the churches over which the Holy 
Ghost hath made them overseers. 

"Nor can those great and ulterior move- 



172 



THE TWINS. 



merits which we all so joyously anticipate, 
find an organization more suited for their 
development and completion, than the one 
for which we are pleading. For they, by 
their very position, are like the keystone to 
the arch; binding preacher and people to 
themselves and to each other; possessing 
power to form an easy and effective mode of 
gathering in those contributions for the 
Lord's house, which are needful to the erec- 
tion of the spiritual temple; and possessing 
those qualifications which are most requisite 
for the management of missions abroad, and 
church extension at home. 

" Let me, therefore, dear brother, while I 
congratulate you on your being chosen to 
fill an office so important to the maintenance 
of order, the preservation of discipline, the 
sustentation of the ministry, and the carry- 
ing out of those great designs which shall 
herald the days of millennial glory, remind 
you of the need there is to look to the great 
Head of influences, that he would fit you for 
your work, enable you to magnify your 
office, and at last receive you with that soul- 



THE TWINS. 



173 



satisfying acclaim, ' Blessed are those ser- 
vants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall 
find watching: verily, I say unto you, that 
he shall gird himself, and make them sit 
down to meat, and will come forth and serve 
them.' " 

Very soon the happy party had separated. 
Mr. Neville, Edith, and the children, re- 
turned to their home; and as the best proof 
of the impressions made on his mind by the 
conversations here detailed, Mr. Neville ac- 
cepted the office of a Ruling Elder. In this 
position he sought to carry out many of the 
hints suggested by Herbert, and finds them 
all work well. 

The latter, with his wife and mother, still 
labours in the Master's vineyard, and finds 
from his own experience the truth of the an- 
nouncement, Blessed are ye that sow be- 
side all waters. 

This is now the fifth time that these char- 
acters have been presented to the public. 
Once more the author designs to claim the 
indulgence of her readers ere they are con- 



174 



THE TWINS. 



signed to forgetfulness ; for while the polity, 
doctrines, and experimental piety enforced 
among us formed the materials for her 
"Why am I a Presbyterian ?" the Pastor 
and the Elder seem unfinished without " The 
Missionary" to complete the series. 



THE END. 



v 



VALUABLE BOOKS 

LATELY PUBLISHED BY 

WILLIAM S. MARTI EN, 

No. 144 CHESTNUT STREET, 
PHILADELPHIA. 



ASLEEP IN JESUS: 

OR 

WORDS OF C0XS0LAT10N 

FOR 

BEREAVED PARENTS. 

By Ret. W. B. CLARK. 

This is one of the most attractive and instructive little 
books on the death of little children that we have ever 
met with. It is beautifully written, and abounds in sug- 
gestions and thoughts which must find a welcome in every 
parent's heart who has been bereaved by the death of a 
beloved child. — Boston Traveller. 

An affectionate and tasteful treatise on the death of 
children. The solid scriptural truth, the kindly sympathy 
and unaffected good taste of the work, will fit it for a very 
successful discharge of the delicate functions to which it 
aspires. — N. Y. Evangelist. 

We greatly admire the work, and cordially recommend 
it. — Puritan Recorder. 

We know of no better manual to place in the hands of 
bereaved parents. — Presbyterian. 



REVIVAL SERMONS. 

Second Series. 

BY THE 

Rev. DANIEL BAKER, D. D. 
With a Portrait. 12mo. 

Few men of the present day have been so largely blessed 
in winning souls, as the author of these discourses. To 
the multitudes who look up to him as having begotten 
them in Christ Jesus, as well as to all who love the truth 
set forth in its simplicity and purity, in a style somewhat 
quaint, though original and striking, and poured forth 
from a soul alive to the great work of an ambassador 
of God, this volume will be most acceptable. The dis- 
courses are well adapted for reading aloud in families 
where the stated ministrations of the sanctuary are not 
enjoyed, or for reading in vacant congregations. — Presby- 
terian. 

This second volume of Revival Sermons, like their pre- 
decessors, will be found very impressive, earnest, and 
useful. They deal with the spiritual concerns of the im- 
penitent with distinctness and point, and take that practi- 
cal view of Christian doctrine best adapted to awaken and 
to lead to Christ. Some of them have a delightful fervour 
and unction. An Appendix, containing several interesting 
Revival Experiences^ is added. — New York Evangelist. 

Their pungency and freshness justify the title of e( Re- 
vival Sermons." — Christian Intelligencer. 

They are full of soul, and abound with evangelical sen- 
timent. — Christian Chronicle. 

Just at this period, when revivals are enjoyed to so great 
an extent in various parts of our land, it will form an 
acceptable and a profitable book to those who may wish to 
have sound instruction adapted to such seasons. — New 
York Observer. 

These discourses, like all the productions from the 
same pen we have met with, are marked by a vigorous 
exhibition of divine truth, and a deep and strong current 
of evangelical feeling. — Puritan Recorder. 

His plain, direct, discriminating, pungent preaching, so 
largely blessed, ought to be carefully studied by all who 
would excel in the like precious work. — N. Y. Recorder. 

2 



MANUALS FOR PRESBYTER AN FAMILIES. 



I. 

Why am I a Presbyterian ? Being" a vindication 
of Church Order, Doctrine, and Practical Holiness, 
as enjoined in that portion of Christ's heritage. By 
a Mother. In three parts. 1 vol. 18mo. 

Every young person in all our Presbyterian families and 
churches throughout the whole bounds of our Zion ought 
to possess this sweet little honeycomb. — Presbyterian 
Advocate. 

II. 

Edwin's Choice ; or Conversations on the Authori- 
ty for the Gospel Ministry, its Trials, Importance, 
Qualifications, Duties, and Privileges. By the 
author of "Why am I a Presbyterian V 18mo. 

The writer is a lady of evident talent and ardent piety ; 
and she touches on many things of great moment from a 
point of view and in a style upon which few but herself 
could have so successfully ventured. Unhesitatingly we 
say it ought to be freely read in all religious families. 
We love this book and earnestly commend it. — Christian 
Instructer. 

III. 

The Twins; or Conversations on the Importance of 
the office of the Ruling Elder; its Scriptural Au- 
thority, Qualifications, and Duties, as well as its 
claims upon the people. By the same author. 
18mo. 

IV. 

IN press. 

The Missionaries; or Foreign and Domestic Mis- 
sionary Effort Compared. By the same author. 
18mo. 

3 



ELEGANT STANDAKD EDITION 



OF 

SCOTT'S COMMENTARY. 



IN FIVE VOLUMES QUARTO. 
LARGE CLEAR TYPE, AND FINE WHITE PAPER. 

Recently published, a new and elegant standard 
edition of the well-known Commentary by Dr. 
Thomas Scott on the Holy Bible. The work is in 
five large quarto volumes, printed on fine white 
paper, and large, handsome clear type, and can be 
furnished in various styles of binding. The follow- 
ing extract from a late review of this edition of the 
work, is worthy of attention. 

" The paper upon which this edition is printed is 
excellent, and the type, both in the Text and in the 
Commentary, is large and fine, making the reading easy 
and pleasant, especially to persons whose sight is weak, 
or who are brought to the use of spectacles. This is a 
great recommendation. The other, and, in fact, the only 
other English Commentary with which this is usually com- 
pared, is Henry's. We would enter into no discussion of 
the relative merits of the two ; our individual prefer- 
ence has always been for Scott. His plan is decidedly 
better; he is less prolix ; the impression he leaves of the 
scope and meaning of the sacred text is more definite, 
and his practical observations are not excelled for variety, 
depth, and Christian experience ; for application of Scrip- 
ture to all the characters, circumstances, and relations of 



men ; and for a never-tailing, all-pervading piety and de- 
votion to the Redeemer and his glory, by any other re- 
ligious writings in oar language. The impression has 
never left us, after our first acquaintance with this Com- 
mentary, and subsequently with his remarkable life, that 
the author was raised up and qualified by God for the 
work. The Commentary is now familiarly called u Scott : s 
Family Bible;" and if the immense sale of the book, and 
its use in Christian families for private devotional reading, 
and for reading at family worship, is any reason for the 
title, no Commentary deserves it more.*' 

J^ 5 * Ministers and congregations, when purchas- 
ing in quantities, will be supplied upon very liberal 
terms, which will be made known ur ; 
to the publisher. 



A TREATISE OX JUSTIFICATION. 



By Rev. GEORGE JTINXIN. D. D. 

Second Edition. 12mo. 

To a work like this,, it is refreshing to turn. It contains 
in large measure, but small and inviting space, the marrow 
of the Gospel; and we unhesitatingly say it will be found 
invaluable to the general reader, and especially to the 
theological student and minister of the gospel, in elucida- 
ting the great central doctrine of our holy faith. We 
would urge for it a place in every private study. — Christian 
Inst meter. 



5 



ATTRACTIVE JUVENILES 



PUBLISHED BY 

WILLIAM S. MARTIEN, 

No. 144 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA. 
I. 

The Basket of Flowers ; or, Piety and Truth Tri- 
umphant. With illustrations, fifteenth edition. 

II. 

Rosa of Linden Castle; or, Filial Affection. A 
Tale for Parents and Children. By the author of 
" Basket of Flowers." Illustrated. 18mo. 

III. 

The Rings; or, the Two Orphans. By the same 
author. With engravings. 18mo. 



The Greek Boy and the Sunday-School, compris- 
ing Ceremonies of the Greek Church, Mode of Bap- 
tism, Communion, Picture-Worship, &c. Second 
edition. 18mo. 

Chapters on the Shorter Catechism. A Tale for 
the Instruction of Youth. By a Clergyman's 
Daughter. Second edition. 16mo. 

Influence. A Moral Tale for Young People. By 
the author of " Miriam." Second edition. 16mo. 

Robert and Harold ; or, the Young Marooners on 
the Florida Coast. By F. R. Goulding, of Georgia. 
With Map and Numerous Engravings. 16mo. 

6 



